A Private Little Affair
by GoWashTheLights
Summary: Claire Stevens lived a normal, occasionally trouble-filled life, and often times turned to her favorite television shows and movies for comfort. Then she wakes up one day and actually finds herself in one of them. It could be a dream come true, if she wasn't already being accused of theft and murder.
1. Prologue: Did That Just Happen?

**DISCLAIMER:** If I owned Star Trek (which I don't, sadly), things would probably get out of control. This story begins based off of the episode "A Private Little War"...and things will probably get out of control from there.

* * *

Prologue: Did That Just Happen?

* * *

_Sometimes what we need isn't what we want. Other times, what we want isn't what we need. Most times, though, what we need or want is what we can't ever have. That's just how it is._

I sat on the couch, my arms wrapped around one of the many throw pillows we owned, eyes glued absently to the t.v. screen. It was about two in the morning, but I didn't care. I smiled as the credits rolled, the cheesy music always making me smile. Not many old shows had me hooked, but

Star Trek was definitely one of them. There was just something that the characters brought that made them so incredibly perfect, something that really gave me my own hope. It was silly, but there were so many little moments that just made me think. I was a nerd like that, sometimes trying

to apply it all in my own life, but I supposed that was the whole point of television and movies - to inspire us.

A really good episode, 'A Piece of the Action', had just finished, about Kirk and Spock in a shoot-em-up scenario and dressed up like old-time gangsters. It was pretty memorable, as opposed to the next one, sadly. Most episodes had a pattern of hit-or-miss, and 'Immunity Syndrome' was

definitely a miss. It was presented with a simple enough problem, a little drama, and and easy solution. I checked my watch again and blinked tiredly.

"Well, Claire," I mumbled, "It's about three in the morning, and you have to work in about five hours." Glancing at the screen, I noticed the next episode was already playing. "Why not ten more minutes?" Smiling, I relaxed farther into the couch, knowing I wouldn't last much longer. I could

always finish the episode in the morning. Ten more minutes was long enough to keep me mildly awake and interested. Captain Kirk, Spock, and Bones had beamed down to some planet to research the natural supplies, and possibly use them for advanced medicinal yada-yada or other. My

eyelids were getting heavy now, so I simply listened. Apparently the work was interrupted by some of the planet's inhabitants attacking others - or something - but I wasn't quite...sure...

One thing I really hated about how I slept was how easily I woke. It normally took me forever to get relaxed enough, but even the smallest disturbances - a light turning on, someone moving around me - was just what it took to ruin it. I usually startled myself out of sleep, too, which was just

what happened. I rubbed away the visual blur and looked around, suddenly confused. No longer on the couch, I found myself in a natural terrain, a dry, breezy area with a fair amount of vegetation. As I stood, a distant, fuzzy realization made its way into my head, and I nodded, feeling I was

right: I was dreaming. I'd read somewhere that, often times, dreams came from the last things we saw or thought about before sleeping; therefore, I realized I had to be dreaming about Star Trek. The planet that the characters had been on was identical to the one around me, so I only had to

wait for my brain to make an adventure out of it. Making my way up a rocky slope nearby, I found a great view of the land, a peaceful feeling running over it. There wasn't a soul in sight, no one to bother anyone. I sat on the edge, my legs dangling over it, and just let myself feel the calm wind.

I wasn't sure how long I'd been there before a pair of muffled voices below caught my attention.

"...wanna think about it again Jim? Starfleet's orders about this planet state 'No interference' with - "

"No interference with normal, social development. I'm not only aware of it, it was _my _survey thirteen years ago that recommended it."

I stood to get a better view, but I must have moved too quickly because I lost my footing. A rush of panic flooded me as I fell, and I tried ungracefully to catch myself. "Ouch! Dude, that..." I stopped, examining my scraped knee, "...hurt."

I'd never really experienced pain while asleep. I knew others said they had, so I had no place to denounce it, but that really _hurt! _It was a little unsettling, but I didn't have time to assess the situation. A low, steady growl reached my ears, and I turned to find some creature staring at me

with wild eyes. Whether it'd been asleep or in the middle of a hunt didn't matter, but I had obviously interrupted something with my clumsiness. As it continued to snarl - which was getting louder and more menacing - I took the few seconds I had to take in its appearance. The best way I could

describe it was an ape, but obviously it wasn't. An ugly, yellow horn jutted from between its eyes, spikes lining its backside just above the tail that defensively swished back and forth. I knew I was dreaming, but the fear was still all real and my heart started to pound as the creature stood its full

height. It was gigantic and the beast knew it, and I was in trouble. Mad with hunger, it pounced with all of its weight and strength to pin me to the ground, all of which was _very _painful.

"H-Help!" I grunted, hoping someone was still around to save my butt. "Hey! Anyone, get this thing off of me!" I struggled and kicked, but my arms were trapped and all I could do was stare up at the monster. It opened its gigantic, sharp-toothed, reeking mouth, and my own mouth opened in

a scream as my attacker lowered its head and bit me. It _bit _me! My sobs drowned my own scream, mixed in with snarling and munching and more yelling from someone else. My shoulder hurt so bad I was getting dizzy, my body starting to go limp. "Please..." I wheezed. "S-Someone..."

"...what is..." A voice yelled.

"...Kill it without..."

Another sound, and a bright light...the heavy weight of the creature gone...someone holding me. I opened my eyes, hardly believing them. Through the tears and fogginess, I was suddenly looking up at the disgruntled, panicked face of Doctor Leonard Mcoy. Another face appeared,

Captain Kirk, and he was yelling something into his communicator. I couldn't...what was he saying?

"Is t-this a j-joke?" I asked, teeth chattering. I couldn't stop shaking, it was so cold.

"She's burning up..."

"...beam us up...!"

An odd, tingling sensation came over me and I thought I was going to wake up. It was quiet now, and I could still feel myself in someone's arms. My mind was clearing a little, and I opened my eyes to see Mcoy looking at me.

"It'll be..."

"...Huh?" I asked, blinking.

"It'll be okay," he was saying. I couldn't hear much now, but I could read his lips. "You'll be okay."

I heaved a shaky breath, and tried to focus my vision one last time. "...I may throw up on you."


	2. Hospital Food Is the Same Anywhere

**Author Note**: I was hoping to have put this up with the prologue yesterday, but alas, I wasn't able to. So, here you go!

**DISCLAIMER:** I don't own Star Trek. Or anything related to it. Unless you count memorabilia :)

* * *

Chapter One: Hospital Food Is the Same Anywhere

* * *

Someone was moaning. It sounded so pitiful, begging for relief that wouldn't come. "Please...this hurts. Take it away already..."

The last words left my mouth in a sigh and I finally woke, my eyes fluttering open. I shot up from the covers, thinking I was finally awake, but immediately I knew I was wrong.

"Whoa, lie down!"

A pair of arms steadied me to catch my fall from a medical bed - not _my _bed- and I looked up. "It can't be. I'm still asleep..."

I fell back into Mcoy's arms, my head flopping like a dead fish. That was what I felt like too; Breathless, in pain, and not where I was supposed to be. This wasn't fun anymore and I wanted to wake up already!

"Nurse Chapel, get in here!"

I must have passed out again, because the next time I opened my eyes I was on my back, tucked in, and feeling...sedated. It seemed like seconds had passed, but I was now more calm, more level-headed, and a little refreshed. Was I really awake? I was in the same place, the now familiar

surroundings of the medical bay on the Enterprise in front of me. _This is a fictional hospital, Claire, hello! You are dreaming!"_

"You're awake," said a relieved voice, and a woman walked over to me. I almost didn't recognize her, but it was her hair, and that kind smile that helped me understand - Nurse Christine Chapel. It was definitely her, but something was different. In fact, as I looked around, everything was a

little off. It was more...realistic? It definitely wasn't a set from the sixties, and I didn't see a camera or a crew. I looked at Nurse Chapel again as she sat down at my side, amazed. More elegant wasn't what I would call her, because she always looked like that, but it seemed more natural, like

she hadn't been in make-up for an hour. She just looked like...her.

"How are you doing, dear?"

"Uh...I, uh...um..."

"A little tongue-tied is all. Do you want more rest? I could call in the Doctor."

"...Yes," I finally said. "The Doctor could be great." Frowning, I couldn't believe I was actually talking to this woman. I really did feel I was awake...or maybe I was hallucinating. That didn't make sense, though. I didn't take drugs, and I wasn't crazy. Was I? Nurse Chapel had left, so I said, "No,

I'm not crazy, and I know this isn't real - " I stopped myself when a man walked in, that man obviously being Doctor Mcoy himself. He, too, looked different, even with those same bright, blue eyes and handsome frown.

"I'm surprised to see you up so soon," He said. "How are you feeling? Pains, or dizziness?"

"I...um, well..." Why couldn't I respond? The medical professionals seemed to notice and shared a look, so I knew I had to say something. "Yes, I hurt, like, everywhere."

He was examining me with that little cylinder device, the medical tablet around his neck giving him all the information he needed. "I'm not surprised, what with you've been through. Now, first thing's first, what's your name?"

"...Claire."

Nurse Chapel smiled. "That's such a pretty name."

"Well, Claire, anything else you can report?"

"A-About my health?" I asked stupidly. He nodded, taking notes. "Um, I think I'm hallucinating..."

Mcoy frowned, still writing. "Well, you were under the heavy influence of a toxin, so that's something we can work on. What are you seeing?"

I hesitated, taking a small breath before answering. I didn't _want _to say it, but I had to be as realistic as possible in the situation. "...You two. All of this, actually."

It was like someone had put them on pause, almost being comical if I hadn't been serious. Then the two looked at each other again before turning on me. Doctor Mcoy raised an eyebrow. "You believe that _we _are hallucinations."

"Y-Yeah. I know it's crazy-talk, but it's the only way to explain it. I'm saying that, for me, none of this, or you, can possibly be here and be real."

"...Very well," Mcoy responded calmly, finishing his report. "The nurse and I will be back soon to...help you through this ordeal. Would you like to rest more?"

I finally nodded. "Yeah, sure."

Though Mcoy turned promptly to finish his work, Nurse Chapel stayed a moment longer, her hand hovering over my shoulder. Finally she rested it and smiled, and said, "I know it's hard for you to believe, but we are real, and we want to help you. Whatever it takes, we're willing to get it done.

Doctor Mcoy is the best around."

"I know," I said confidently, earning me a strange look_. _"I-I mean, I can just tell, I guess." She nodded, turning. "Nurse Chapel?" I called without thinking. She turned back, the smile still on her face, though with more surprise than before. "Um, thanks."

"You...know my name?"

_Oh, yeah, I'm not supposed to know that. Crap. _"Oh, I just heard it from...before. I mean, from when I was awake before. Doctor Mcoy said it."

"Oh, all right. You get some sleep, Claire."

I could tell that she wasn't entirely convinced, but it was too late. Laying down, I wrapped the blanket over me and tried to curl up a little more, embarrassed. I still hadn't fallen asleep when the two returned, but I kept me eyes closed and nosily eavesdropped on their quiet conversation.

"She's sweet, poor thing, but something isn't...right."

"I understand _that_, nurse. The best we can do is give her a simple explanation, show her she's not hallucinating, and let her decide."

"No, I mean...she knows us."

"...She _knows _us?"

"She just seemed to know who you are, and she said my name, which I haven't actually told her."

"She's never seen you," Mcoy whispered in argument.

"I know. I don't think it means anything, she said that she heard it when she was awake before, but..."

"I would _not _have called that 'awake'. I've never seen anything like it, someone hollering and crying so much. That girl has not been in her right mind up until now, and still, I worry. That poison still did something to her, and I'm concerned that we may not have been able to remove it

permanently."

I chose not to pay attention to the rest, instead focusing on getting some well-needed rest. I really did ache, especially where I'd been bitten, and whatever 'toxin' had been in my system was still making me nauseous. _Gosh, listen to me, believing all of this. I really am crazy! I just want to_

_wake up, be perfectly normal, and live my regular, average life._

* * *

This was not a fun game anymore.

It seemed that I'd spent most of my recovery time unconscious, and I'd been on the Enterprise an entire week without even realizing it. Now, two days later after really talking to Mcoy and Nurse Chapel, I was still here, in sick bay, believing that this was either a really intense dream, I was

crazy, or this was all a joke. I kept imagining one day I'd be surprised by a big filming crew, and they'd give me a free t-shirt for being a good sport about it. Sadly, there continued to be a lack of t-shirt, and my fangirl desire to be in the Star Trek universe was wearing out. I underwent medical

examinations patiently and processed everything in my apparently healthy brain, and accepted company from Nurse Chapel whenever I was awake. I slept a lot, still feeling incredibly weak and tired all the time, but at least I had a friend to keep my company. At the end of our little visits, Nurse

Chapel would always put her hand firmly on my good shoulder, like it was her own way of saying, "I'm here. I'm real."

On the fourth day, Doctor Mcoy had be eating normal foods again and left me a few books to read, to pass the time. With that method, I allowed myself to accept that, at least, I wasn't dreaming. People couldn't read in their sleep, since it required a part of their brain that only properly

functioned while one was conscious. It should have given me more comfort, one possibility being eliminated, but inside, I was feeling tortured. I couldn't just wake up and laugh this whole thing off. I was in the middle of reading 'Tom Sawyer' when I got an unexpected visitor. Well, not too

unexpected, since the Captain had to know all the happenings on his ship. Especially when it was about a girl he'd helped save from a monster, a girl now trying to recover on a strange ship she'd never been on before. Kirk came in with that famous, polite smile, his faithful first officer in tow.

The two talked with Mcoy at the door, who finally nodded and allowed them to pass. I almost stuck out my hand in nervous excitement, then I remembered that I wasn't supposed to know who he was until _he _said it. So, I played dumb and waited for him to make the first move.

"Claire," Mcoy spoke first, "this is the Captain of the Enterprise, and his First Officer. They were a great help in your initial recovery."

Kirk stepped forward. "Yes, I'm James Kirk, and this is Mr. Spock, First Officer and Scientist. He also plays a fantastic games of chess of chess, in case you'd like to find something new to do with your time while here."

I laughed easily. That 'Kirk charm' always cheered me up. "I stink at that game, but thanks. It's...nice to finally meet you."

"Oh, I apologize for not coming down to visit sooner, but I'm happy to arrange anything you might need to make your stay more comfortable. Are you feeling better?"

"Just about; I've been taken good care of here. I probably couldn't be in better hands, actually."

Kirk nodded, patting Mcoy on the shoulder. "Very true. Now, if you don't mind, miss..."

"Oh, Claire," I replied.

"Miss Claire. If you don't mind, when you've been released, I'd like to have a chat with you."

"Fine with me." I shrugged. Hanging out with the Captain? Definitely a yes!

"Good. Get some rest, and Doctor Mcoy will have everything in order for you."

With that, the Captain and Spock left, and Mcoy and I were alone. I sighed, slumping into my pillow. Mcoy folded his arms. "Something wrong?"

"Does he know?"

"Know what?"

"That I think none of this is real."

He paused. "I'm required to report anything medical, official, and relevant to my patients' cases, and he's the Captain."

I winced. Even if they were hallucinations, I wasn't the type of person who liked that everyone knew my problems. Mcoy rested his hand comfortingly on my shoulder, having picked up the habit from his associate. "Yeah, I understand," I said.

"However, you're _not _hallucinating, so there's no reason to report it."

I frowned at him. "I think I am, though."

He shrugged, smiling. "You don't need that on your plate, Claire."

Then he quietly made his way out of the room. I was alone again, the steady beep of the monitor above me the only sound. They really were trying to convince me, and I knew that was because maybe, just maybe, I wanted all of it to be real. I sighed. "It wouldn't be so bad if it _was _real,

would it?" I closed my eyes. It was getting harder to get to sleep these days...

I was outside, running. It had to be the middle of the night, and wherever I was headed, I was in a hurry to get there. Still, I just couldn't run fast enough, like my feet were tied to a couple of weights.

_"Aren't you happy here?"_

_ "All things considered, you've had it pretty good in life."_

_ "Don't you get it? We love you."_

"I _know!_" I yelled stubbornly, still running. My voice sounded muffled. "Sometimes it just isn't enough, okay? I just have to get away for a while."

_"Where are you going to go?"_

I looked back, a terrible mistake. From down the street, I could see my family, looking anxious and disappointed. I turned my head. "I'll go where I need to."

_"Will you be happy?" _None of them had said it. The voice came from somewhere else. This was a nightmare, and I had to get out of it. _"Will you be happy?" _It asked again.

"I...I can find happiness anywhere! It doesn't always have to be here. Just shut up!"

_"You can't always have your way."_

"I know!" I cried out in frustration, turning and stomping off. I made it to another street, emotion overcoming me. I collapsed, crying, wishing for tears to fall. They wouldn't though, because...because...

"W-Why?"

Opening my eyes, I felt real tears fall, my sobs waking me. A hand rested on my back, the person standing over me with hesitance. "Claire, it was just a dream."

I cried harder, recognizing his voice. "N-No, _this _is a dream! It's all a dream, okay?! None of this can be real..." This sucked so much! Why was I doing this to myself? Why was I here?

"Nurse Chapel, get a sedative for me."

"NO!" I yelled, sitting up straight. "I don't want to sleep again. not after that! I'll calm down, okay? I'll calm down!"

My heaving sounded pathetic. It was that ugly-faced cry that just made people feel uncomfortable, but I couldn't help it. I could hear the frantic beep of the monitor, obviously as stressed as I was. Nurse Chapel stepped forward, a thoughtgul look on her face. "I think all she needs is some

comfort, Doctor. Claire, may I sit with you?" I shrugged. Either way, I was going to keep on crying, so an extra shoulder was nice. I scooted over as she sat and embraced me, rocking me a little. "Sometimes a good cry is all you need, and yours is way overdue, don't you think?"

I laughed a little, trying to rid myself of the hopelessness straying into my heart. I simply had to appreciate that someone was here, helping me. "I just...I don't understand w-what's wrong with me."

* * *

_Wow. So, I'm a little more out of practice than I thought. The rough draft seems a lot longer and the paragraphs seem to be more...complete. Full. Whatever the word, it's definitely not present here. I have a really wide computer screen, so that isn't helping. Let me know if the format turns out funny and I'll try to fix it up the best I can. I'll have the next chapter up soon! Thanks!_


	3. Is That Your Final Answer?

**Author Note: **Thanks so much for following and favorites! Sorry for the delay, but here's the next chapter. Enjoy!

* * *

Chapter Two: Is That Your Final Answer?

* * *

"Permission to enter, Captain."

"Come on in, Bones."

The two of us stepped into the room, finding Kirk sitting expectantly but comfortably. He smiled and motioned to the other two chairs arranged in front of him. "How are you today, Claire?"

"Good," I replied, shaking his hand. It was still so weird, actually talking to him. "I'm feeling better."

"I'm glad to hear that. Let's sit down and have that chat, shall we?" Anything to drink?"

"No, I'm okay."

"Doctor?"

"I'm fine, Captain," Mcoy declined politely, earning him an odd look. Kirk glanced at me, sensing something was amiss. He wasn't too far off - things had been stressful the last couple of days. Ever since my breakdown, the littlest things would set me off. I'd be reading something sad and start

crying, or hear someone say something serious and start crying, all the _time. _It was incredibly exhausting, and I was losing my shoulders to cry on. Doctor Mcoy and Nurse Chapel had things they had to get done, and leaving me be seemed to be their way of letting me get through the rough time.

In a way it was...but I missed them talking to me as much as they did.

Kirk sat back a little, thinking. "Well, I'd first like to ask if everything's all right. The both of you seem a little tired, a little down."

"The strains of her recovery are sometimes a little draining, and Nurse Chapel and I are working to make sure that everything is going well. There's nothing more to worry about, really."

"You're sure?" Kirk asked, looking to me. I sighed.

"Yeah, no worries at all. I'm just not sleeping well."

"How's your diet?"

I smiled. "Better, but if I have to keep up this green jello business much longer, I might go crazy."

"Well, I'm hoping you won't have to endure it much longer. You're looking a lot better, healthier, and we can have you back home in no time."

"...Yeah...home. You probably need to arrange all of that now, don't you? That's why I'm here?:

"It _is _something I want to talk about, but for the time being, you're still under Doctor Mcoy's care until he gives you a clean bill of health. So, I suppose first thing's first - where are you from?"

I could have lied. I _wanted _to lie, just to do it, to make myself that much more cool, but I wasn't like that in the end. One never knew what consequences could be when they didn't stick to the truth. So, I said, "I'm from earth - from Arizona."

Kirk nodded. "Simple enough. We can contact your family and let them know you're all right, then send you home when everything is clear."

I glanced at Mcoy, who seemed to give me the, 'you're on your own on this one' look. We still hadn't told Kirk about my mental problems yet, so I had the choice of telling the truth or...completely lying to his face. I couldn't exactly tell him that he was a television character - wasn't there a rule

that prohibited that kind of information, like telling someone about the future? _He'd get a great laugh out of it, being told he's some movie star, _I thought with a smile, _I wouldn't want to inflate his ego more than necessary. _"Um, the thing is," I spluttered, as Kirk was getting ready to stand, "that's

kind of impossible to do."

"Why is that?"

I paused for a long time, thinking on my words. "...I don't have a family here. Not anymore, anyways."

As I'd expected, the silence that followed was a little uncomfortable. Actually, it was _way _uncomfortable. Kirk finally cleared his throat. sitting back down. "Would you mind...clarifying?"

"They...they're dead." I'd only referred to the fact that, technically, I was in the future, so I was right, but the words sounded so ugly. I immediately felt guilty. "I don't have anyone now."

"How long has that been?"

"...A while. It doesn't matter, though. I'm here now, and that's all that matters."

Kirk finally pulled on a strained smile. "Yes, you are here, and alive, for which we're grateful, but I suppose I'll ask my other question - how did you end up on that planet? There's no record of anyone landing there besides us, and you obviously don't live there."

_That_ one I could answer honestly. "I don't know. I was at home, fell asleep, and when I woke up, I was there. I seriously thought I was dreaming until that thing attacked me."

Mcoy shuffled a little, making his presence remembered. "Captain, if I could request something, with both yours and Claire's admittance?"

"That's fine with me. Claire?"

"Yeah, that's okay."

Mcoy nodded. "I'd like to have either myself or Nurse Chapel continue spending time with Claire, to keep her company and make sure everything is all right. I was unaware of your situation, Claire, and we want to help."

Great, now he was going to corner me, try to get the truth out of me until they shipped me to an earth that wasn't mine. They'd put me in a home I didn't belong in, and then what would I do? I was an adult, but how would I find a job? Technically, I didn't even exist, so an I.D. was out of

the question. Snapping out of this whole thing wasn't working.

"I'd like that, Doctor," said Kirk.

"...Me, too," I agreed. "Do you still want me in the medical bay?"

"Oh, I think you've spent more than enough time there, so we'll get a nice, private room arranged for you. I -"

A beep sounded on a nearby monitor, on the Captain's desk. _"Bridge to the Captain." _It was Uhura. I hadn't met her yet, but I'd really wanted to. _"Starfleet Command is hailing us, Captain."_

"Thank you, Lieutenant, I'll be right up. Kirk out." Kirk stood, looking thoughtful. "I suppose that's the last time they'll wait on me."

"Captain?" Mcoy asked.

"I simply wished for our new 'crew member' a little more time to recover, but it looks like they'll want to make the arrangements. Claire, Doctor Mcoy will show you to your room, if that's all right." He handed the doctor a card, like the type they used for hotels, then ended the meeting by

taking his leave out the door. We followed him out into the hall, then my escort led me the opposite direction. It was an uneasy silence that followed us until I couldn't take it anymore. I cleared my throat. "I wasn't lying."

"I didn't say you were."

"You didn't have to. I know all of this suddenly got weird."

"Not 'weird', exactly, but...suspicious. When you talk to the Officials, they'll put two and two together and come to the conclusion that you ran away."

"I didn't run away, though. I seriously don't know how I got here."

"Look, we want to help you, and that's the sincere truth, but unless you tell us everything, it's all going to get worse."

I groaned. "Starfleet -" I started, then bit my tongue. I'd wanted to say that Starfleet ruined everything - because they did - but I knew that would be unwise. So I finished with, "...is a really nice organization, for helping me out."

Mcoy smiled wryly. "Yeah, they sure are." A hint of sarcasm left his voice, and he gave me a look. "Don't tell _them _I said that."

* * *

I'd never been in a quieter room. There were no outside sounds of passing cars or children, or birds...just the silent stars. My room didn't actually have a window to see them, but I knew they were there. I turned on my side and fiddled with the communicator in my hands. It was a lot

prettier than the one from the show, sleeker and not so silly. It still whistled lightly to let me know someone was on the other end, which was nice. Mcoy had given it to me in case I needed something, to talk to him or Nurse Chapel outside of our 'sessions', and they'd be right on their way.

It was sweet.

A buzz at my door drew me from thought. "Come in," I called, sitting up. I was mildly surprised to find Spock enter with uninterested composure. "Uh, hi."

"Hello, Miss Claire. I was asked to escort you up to the bridge; the Captain has finished speaking with the Officials, and there are some matters in need of discussion."

"What's their verdict?"

"That is for the Captain to divulge, as previously stated," he finished, not unkindly. Stepping away from the door, he motioned for me to follow. I took a small breath, fixed my hair, and moved out into the hall. Spock accompanied me at my side, obviously comfortable with the silence. I,

however, was not, having been in it for hours.

"So," I began, "what's it like...working here?"

"Are you referring to my position as a scientist, or working on the bridge?"

"Eh, both, I guess." It was a start."

"I have found my time here useful, observing my fellow crew members, learning from our travels, and more understanding of the galaxy. It is a part of our mission."

"That's cool. I..."

We'd turned a corner in our path, leading us to a hall of ceiling-to-floor windows at our right. Beyond them revealed a breathtaking view of those stars, completely enveloping us in its endlessness. "That's...amazing. Is _this _what you see, all the time?"

"Yes. I view them often in my work and some of my personal time. There are very few moments I do not spend looking, thinking on what lies out there."

I stood closer to the glass, wanting to just reach through it and catch one star. Just one would have been enough, but I knew that it was impossible. "Don't you ever get tired of it?"

He thought only a second. "No, I do not. It's important that I dedicate my time to them when needed, and I simply focus on that."

"Are you happy, though? Don't you miss your home?"

He blinked patiently. "I am a Vulcan, which means that I do not harbor such emotions. I do not use my time questioning anything that could impede the mission. It is illogical."

I sighed, smiling. I _knew_ he'd say that. It was a perfect response, and I'd know he was going to say it because _I _made him say it. I was creating the scenario from what I knew of him. Why did it have to be so perfect? Sometimes Spock's answers were just that - perfect - but unhelpful. I

responded, "Where you come from doesn't always matter, does it? What you do growing up, your traditions, way of life - it starts to go away. Where you are now is more important, isn't it?"

He raised an eyebrow, that famous expression nearly making me smile. "I agree," he said. "It is logical to focus on the task at hand, rather than past actions or ones not yet made. Every second becomes the present, a time to reach one's potential."

I made a face. _Potential, yuck. _ I hated that word. Why was there always something more that someone had to prove? I always believed that what was done should be enough, but people around me always said that I had 'potential', and that I just 'had to reach it'. I cleared my throat. "Mr.

Spock? Is it all right if I have one of those seconds here? Just for a bit?"

"...Very well, seeing as we have the time. Shall I leave you alone?"

"You can stay, or not, it's your choice. Uh, thanks for talking to me."

He nodded, stepping a ways down the hall to give me some space. I chose to sit; Lowering myself onto the carpeted floor, I pulled my knees close to myself and wrapped my arms around them. Every time I closed my eyes and whispered, "It's not real. It's not real," I'd open them just to find

the stars looking back at me. It didn't matter how many times I did it, or how convincing I was to myself, the result was the same. It had to mean that it _was _real, which meant that it should have been a dream come true. I'd imagined myself so many times suddenly being in one of my favorite

movies or t.v. shows, but now that I was seeing it...I was a little scared. Things like this didn't actually happen - that's why we had entertainment. I had to wonder, once again, if I was actually home, sitting on the floor in my house. Was my family around me, watching my mental breakdown?

Why couldn't I see or hear them?

"Mom?" I whispered. "Dad? Are you there? Give me a sign that you're..." My voice caught in my throat, pathetic tears welling up in my eyes. "...that you're there. Aren't you here with me, or what?"

I thought about what I'd said to Kirk and Mcoy about my family. and started to cry a little more. That was when I felt a hand on my shoulder, gentle and real. Looking up, I had one last moment of expecting my Mom or Dad, or siblings, but I was wrong. Mcoy was crouched down, a curious,

concerned expression on his face. "Claire?"

I looked up at Spock, and I noticed the Captain standing next to him. The both of them looked unsure of what to do, so I looked back at Mcoy. Without another word, I purposefully moved onto my knees and hugged him tightly, an embrace that immediately had me convinced. Hallucinations

didn't feel this real, no matter now convincing they looked. I could hear his heart beat, his steady breath, and his hug in return. Still sniffling, I whispered, "It's real, isn't it?"

"...Yes. Yes, it is, Claire."

I sighed. "...Okay, I believe you."

He pulled away, trying to hide a relieved smile. I smiled back for my own reasons; if this really, truly was Leonard Mcoy, then I was the luckiest girl alive. The two of us got to our feet and faced Kirk, who moved to stand a little straighter. "If...everything is in order, Claire, I'd like to let you know

of Starfleet's decision."

"What did they say?"

"They'd like to speak with you first, then make arrangements for a suitable, comfortable home."

"Would I be living alone or with, like, a foster family?"

Kirk thought, then politely shrugged. "That will be according to what they decide on."

I nodded. "...Right." I was suddenly faced with a rather high obstacle. For some reason, I was here, and the only place I knew was the Enterprise. I didn't know what earth was like now, and I didn't really care. Whoever or whatever had put me here had done it for a reason, so if this was

permanent, why should I have to face it all alone? The people of the Enterprise would be perfect company. However, I didn't exactly know how to present that. I opened my mouth to start my defense, but Mcoy beat me to it.

"Captain, if I may, I made it clear to them that I haven't released her from my care, and I don't feel an immediate transfer is appropriate."

"We'll try to make that as clear as we can, Bones. For now, we have to trust them and understand that all things will be for the best."

"...Understood, Captain."

Kirk tipped his head, turning a little. "Now, if you'll excuse myself and Mr. Spock, we'll be returning to the bridge. Claire, I recommend you get a little more rest before the Officials arrive, which will be in about three days. We'll do all we can to make sure you're in the best care."

I could only nod as the two took their leave. Mcoy looked thoughtful as he stared out one of the windows, and I couldn't help but do the same. What was I going to do if I left? No one wanted some other adult hanging around their house, even if they did earn their keep. Would I go to a

homeless shelter? Maybe I...maybe I did have relatives now, like a great, great niece or nephew. _Perhaps a cousin? That's about all I have to work with. _There was no doubt they had some record on me now, thanks to my stay in the hospital.

"Claire. You...don't want to leave, do you?"

"N-No, not really. I'm just...really confused about everything, but I guess I have to trust them."

"They're not such bad people. They do what any other person with a heart would do, which is the right thing. It's _us _who struggle to understand the 'why' of it."

I scrunched my face. "Sure. None of you seem too enthusiastic about it."

This was _not _happening, and as I thought on it more, the less resigned I became. I folded my arms. "Don't let them take me."

"How am I supposed to do that?"

"You said it yourself, I'm still in your care. Tell them I'm not ready to leave, to be on my own."

Mcoy scoffed. "Claire, I'm not going to lie to them.""I'm not asking you to. As far as they understand, I'm traumatized. It'd be bad to keep me anywhere else."

"You think it's that easy?" He asked, anger turning in his eyes. "They'll send you straight to a hospital for observation. It's not any different than being here; I'm just a doctor, not a psychiatrist. Just because we found you doesn't mean we get to keep you."

"Oh, come on, that's - "

He placed his hands over my arms, gripping them gently. "Claire. No matter where you go, you'll be in a safer place than on this Starship. We travel around finding all sorts of danger, and we've lost too many good men and women because of it. To put another life in danger is wrong, and I

won't be a part of it. I don't know how you ended up here, but it's better you not stay. Do you understand?"

I rolled my eyes. Secretly I was a little entertained, fighting with Mcoy, but on the other hand I was getting annoyed. "No, I don't. I don't know how I got here, either, but I'm here for a reason. This is all I have now. I don't have a family, or friends, or even the clothes I came in. I have this

hospital jumper now, and the people who provided it to me. This is the only place I'd consider home, don't _you_ understand?"

"Look, neither of us have time for this useless bickering. I need to get back to my work, and you need some more rest. I'll be by later to visit, if that's all right, but it's all I can do."

Neither of us spoke another word until we reached my room, after which a simple 'goodbye' was exchanged. I really wanted to slam my door in his face, but the fact that all I had was an automatic door made it difficult. So, I resigned to flopping myself onto my bed and growling into my pillow.

I had just accepted all of this, and now it was being taken away. Well, I wasn't going down without a fight.

* * *

_I had fun with this chapter. So, I'm still noticing that the Copy N Paste program here doesn't exactly do what I want it to. It doesn't margin my paragraphs properly and lacks double spaces between sentences. I promise that I'm doing it (in case that is bothersome to anyone, I know it is to me), but it's not saving that way. Oh, well, enough nerdy grammar talk :) Hope you enjoyed the chapter! _


	4. The Commercials Always Keep Us Hanging

**Author Note:** I changed the rating a little because...well, writing more of the story made me realize it was necessary. Thanks for the favorites and reviews!

* * *

Chapter Three: The Commercials Always Keep Us Hanging

* * *

Either the walls were really boring here, or I'd just never spent so much time looking at one. Since I had no idea how much time had passed, I assumed hours had passed. It was so _quiet _here, like being the only one in a classroom first thing in the morning. I finally placed my hands over my ears

just to hear the air passing through them, but that got uncomfortable quickly. I hummed, talked to myself, and kept picking up the communicator given to me. Then I'd set it back down and sigh. I didn't want to seem needy. I simply had to enjoy the ride, and try and figure out a way to keep

myself on the Enterprise. I was here for a reason, and I had to take advantage of every second I stayed here. I paced the room, thinking of excuses I could whip up, when my communicator whirred from my pillow. Startled, I nearly pounced on it. "H-Hello? This is Claire."

There was a smile in Mcoy's voice as he replied. "Good, you're awake. By chance, is Nurse Chapel there?"

"Nope. Was she supposed to be?"

"She said she was on her way, so I'd just expect her soon. However, I'd like to talk to you as well, if that's all right."

"Sure, sounds good. I'm kind of dying here, being alone," I said, happy to have outside communication.

"All right, I'll be by in about ten minutes."

"Okay, then. Um...bye?"

He laughed quietly. "Mcoy out."

I closed the communicator. "Oh, yeah. That's what they say. This isn't a cell phone." So, I had ten more minutes before anyone would be passing by. Mcoy had said that Nurse Chapel was on her way, so I wasn't sure who would get there first. It'd be nice having the both of them back with me;

We could talk as long as possible and just have a good time, and it'd be great. I passed the remaining time by more humming and thinking, and finally someone rang. "Come in," I called, sitting up.

It was Mcoy, with a couple of things on hand. One was a simple, white bag, the other was his scanning device. His tablet was draped around his neck, and as he stepped in, he put the bag next to the door. "Hello, Claire. How are you?"

"Glad someone came to see me," I replied, smiling. "You can sit, if you'd like."

He nodded, taking a place next to me on the bed. "First I'd like to do a little check up just to see your progress. Your appetite seems to come and go, but everything else reads normal. Are you feeling anything different or new?"

"No complaints from me, really. I'm ship-shape, thanks to you guys."

"Fit as a fiddle, huh? My scanner seems to agree, so I'll leave it at that. The Captain wanted to let me know that it won't be long now, so I brought something for you. A...parting gift, of sorts."

I scrunched my nose as he turned to grab the white bag. If I was going to try, now was the time. "Doctor, I wanted to say something about that - "

"Hm? Oh, all right. Firstly, though, this is for you. I think you'll be happy to have it. I think it's everything, so let me know."

His diversion had worked. I took the bag and looked inside, hardly believing it. Folded neatly, and repaired were the clothes and shoes I'd arrived in, without a bloodstain or tear in sight. "How...?"

Mcoy glanced away, smiling. "It wasn't difficult, really. You just need the right tools, which I don't believe they quite had in the twenty-first century."

I stopped, not looking at him. "...Why say that?"

"Well, it's where your from, isn't it?"

I winced. "I suppose making something up would be bad, right?"

"I had a feeling, I guess. The whole thing just seemed so odd to me, but I couldn't place it. A simple scan of the clothes to find something on that monster led me to it - purely observation with unexpected results."

This definitely wasn't something I'd expected. Of all I'd thought of, them finding out that I wasn't even from this time had not come to mind. I didn't know why, since time travel wasn't really a big deal here, but now I had a new problem. If they sent me back to my time in this world, I would still

be in trouble. I was here, but not my family. I figured that the only way to solidify my staying here was telling him as much of the truth as I could - I was from another dimension. "Are you going to tell them?"

"They...already know. I already explained to you, I have to report my findings. You seem so eager not to go back, though I can't imagine why, but this presents a whole other story. How much of what you've said is true?"

"What do you mean?"

"Did you run away? Why choose this time, this place? Are you with someone?"

I bit my lip. "No, no, it's not like that. I've told you the truth as much as I can. Now that you know more, I can tell you that...well, I _can't _say everything, if that makes sense. It'd be really bad, okay?"

"Why is that?"

"I can't tell you," I tried, knowing it was a weak argument. He saw that, too, and sighed. "I'm not trying to cause problems, but I know I am. I don't know how I got here - if anyone or anything did it - and I don't know how to get back."

"It's easy, though. No offense, but the things you know are prehistoric at this point. It's only a matter of time."

"Okay, okay. I do have one more thing that I guess will help," I said, standing. He was going to be really annoyed. "The reason I say I can't get back is because I'm not only _not _from this time, but this...dimension. I guess that's what you'd call it."

He frowned. "How do you know that?"

I hesitated. "I can't tell you. I just know it, though, and you're going to have to trust me. I can't get back home."

"Don't you want to? Don't you think we're willing to find a way? We just need to figure out _where _you're from, and the rest is history!"

I turned, smiling hopefully. "I know. Just..not yet, though. I'm telling you this so that _someone _understands, but I don't want everyone to know. That makes it sound more like I did run away, but I didn't. I just ended up here without asking for it. Will you please keep this a secret? I want to

stay for a little longer."

He was quiet, then let out a low breath. "I don't like this. It's not professional and it's going to get you into more trouble."

"It won't if we don't let anyone know."

"Claire. If they send you back, you'll be all alone."

"I know, I know! I'm thinking, okay? It's just really confusing and crazy, but I'm working on it. I'm just asking you to side with me."

He stood, looping his tablet over his head. "Fine. This is difficult for me, and I don't like withholding information from the Captain. He's my superior and my friend, and I'm going behind his back a little. If I get the chance to tell him everything - especially to help you - I'll do it. I have to go now, but

get ready, and someone will be by in a while to get you."

He took his leave then, and I had the feeling that I'd just made things worse. Sitting on my bed, I looked at the ceiling. "Okay, aliens or greater force that did this, it isn't funny. If you have some crazy idea to actually help me, you'd better do it now. I got nothing, here, and you can see that."

I decided to take Mcoy's advice and get dressed. It would be nice to be out of my jumper, and as I pulled out my shoes, I smiled. Good old Converse, never letting me down. Getting down to my skivvies, I pulled on my straight leg jeans and socks, and my black, 'punk' logo tee, then my shoes.

Lastly was my belt, which was styled to hang off of one hip. I adjusted it and smirked. "Yeah, they're not going to suspect a thing with this style. I wonder if people still dress like this on Earth. I tucked the jumper neatly into the bag and sat against the side of the bed, my knees propped up.

It was nice to have something familiar with me, and now all I had to do was wait. Again.

* * *

_Bzzzzzt!_

"Uh, come in?" I said. Nurse Chapel - I'd almost forgotten she was coming - walked in, and immediately frowned at me. Then her expression changed and she smiled.

"Oh, Claire, I hardly recognized you, but I see you have your clothes back. It must be nice, right?"

"You have no idea," I replied, standing up. I'd remained on the floor after Mcoy left, and had been alone only about five minutes. "The Doc said you were coming to see me."

"Yes, sorry, I'd planned to come by earlier, but I was delayed."

I hid a smile, knowing her too well. Maybe she'd run into Spock and tried to talk to him. Those two seriously needed the hook-up. "It's good. What's up?"

"Oh, I brought you something."

"I'm pretty popular today, I guess," I said, looking at the bag she had in her hand. She set it on the bed, and started pulling out things like nail polish and eye shadow. Mascara...blush...eyeliner...

"I was just thinking that you deserved a little pick-me-up. You've been through a lot, and a little makeover is something every girl needs more than she thinks."

I laughed. "Amen to that. Thanks, nurse, I really appreciate it. I haven't even dared look at myself this whole time."

"Really?"

"Uh, yeah! I probably look as terrible as I've felt. Don't pretend it isn't true," I added when she shrugged. She smiled, pulling out a mirror. "Here, let me see my face," I said.

"...Are you sure?"

I thought. "Maybe not. The mirror might break."

The both of us laughed, a freeing sound in the room. It was really nice to have another girl to play makeup party with, and an idea started working into my brain as Nurse Chapel just happened to catch a glance of herself in the mirror. She fixed her hair, then set the mirror down and faced me.

"All right, Claire. Do you trust me?"

"Yep. I'm really excited about this, just so you know. It'll be nice facing the Officials and not be a disaster."

"Good. I won't be crazy about it, and I'll have you looking great."

From there, we turned into complete teenagers. She worked quickly, having me make the appropriate, silly faces when needed. My bangs needed a serious trim, which she was kind enough to do with courtesy of the jumper I'd folded up. Mcoy probably wouldn't be happy, but it had to be

washed anyway. When she was done, she finally passed me the mirror for me to examine her handiwork. I was immediately impressed, though I missed my straightener terribly. "Wow, you did a really good job!"

"You like it?"

"Yeah. Not crazy, and just enough to say, 'Hey, I can go out in public and probably come back with a date'. Great job!"

She smiled, starting to gather her things. I stopped her by moving my hand over hers, and shook my head. "What?" She asked.

"We're not done. To thank you, it's my turn."

"Oh, you don't have to - "

"Come on, we still have time, don't we? Until they come through that door demanding our presence, our party isn't over."

"You'll do that?"

"Of course! It probably won't be as good as you do it, but I'm not half-bad. I won't make you look like...uh...one of my friends." I had really interesting people who I hung out with, to say the least. Nurse Chapel shrugged, so I just got to work. I took off a little there, added a little here, and

messed with her hair a little. After thinking on it, I took the scissors she'd used on me. I sliced the air a couple of times, smiling. "Trust me?"

She paused, then put two and two together. "Oh, n-no, Claire, I'm fine! I mean, it's not that I don't trust you, I just like how it is!"

"Oh, come on," I whined, pouting. "You scratch my back, I scratch yours! We have the perfect tool to do it, too!"

She probably didn't want to laugh, but she did. "No, thank you."

"It's just to change things a little, to give you a couple prospects? Or just one? A dark-haired one?"

Nurse Chapel gasped a little, her face completely guilty. "How...did you know?"

"When you're sitting in a bed all day, you start getting really good at people watching."

She looked down, her shoulders slumping a little. "It's that obvious?"

_I've just watched a lot of episodes, Miss Chapel, _I thought, smiling. "It's not bad. It's just something I picked up, and I want to help. Besides, if anything else, a hair trim isn't going to hurt anything, is it?"

"...I suppose not."

"Good. Now, just trust me, and it'll be fine."

I honestly didn't do much, since she had it styled how she wanted it. I just added a few layers and more to her bangs, and it was over quickly. She looked at herself, pleasantly satisfied, it seemed. "I really like it, Claire."

"That's good, because you can't change it. I really like it, it gives you a little different swing, don't you think?"

"Sure. A little 'swing'..."

We'd used the jumper again, so I tried to brush off a majority of the hair locks to the bottom of the bag. Mcoy definitely would complain, but once he knew it was for a good cause, he'd calm down. The two of us talked afterwards, though I couldn't get much dirt on how Nurse Chapel felt about

her Vulcan co-worker before he showed up with Captain Kirk at my door. They seem a little surprised, but of course, Kirk was the only one to make a comment. "Well, ladies, where can we take you tonight?" He offered his arm jokingly, and I about took it if it wasn't going to look unprofessional.

"I take it my ride is here?"

"I believe so. They'd like to talk to you first, before any decisions are made. I'm sure you won't have a problem with that."

"More like I don't have a choice," I said, but I winked to show I was kidding. As I passed Nurse Chapel, I repeated the action and walked past the First Officer, nudging him a little. As I stepped out, that left me to walk with Kirk, so the future lovebirds could talk. I asked the Captain to tell me

a little more about the ship and the people, which was enough to distract me. We passed a hall of windows - I wasn't sure if it was the same one - and I glanced back at Spock for a moment. He was engaged otherwise in a quiet conversation with Nurse Chapel, who couldn't stop touching her

hair. She happened to look up, finding my stare, and I mouthed 'relax' to her. Then I turned around, hoping my work was done. Kirk really did a good job of keeping my occupied, but the moment he announced that we'd arrived, my stomach did a little flip.

"Captain?" I asked.

"Yes, Claire."

"Um, where's...uh, well, could I have a second to say goodbye? Just one more?"

"Very well, but just one," he said, holding up a finger and smiling. I faced Nurse Chapel and didn't hesitate in giving her a tight hug.

"Thanks so much, nurse. You helped me so much."

She returned the embrace. "Oh, thank _you, _Claire. You're a sweet, thoughtful girl, and I'm happy to have spent time with you."

A little emotion hit me, and I cleared my throat. "Yeah." I looked up at Spock - way up, him being so tall - and stuck out my hand. "You're pretty awesome, you know? Thanks for talking with me." He nodded politely, his head bowing a little.

I did the same for Captain Kirk, and he said, "You won't have to worry about missing Doctor Mcoy. He'll be here, soon to talk with the Officials. You are his patient, after all."

As if on cue, the man in question was walking toward us, rather briskly. He seemed relieved to be on time, and followed the Captain and I into the room before us. Two men and a woman stood at the center, definitely looking worthy of their titles. They shook my hand politely as I stepped up to

them, but the formalities would soon be over. They were here for business.

"Claire, this is Commanders Edwards and Danielsen, and their associate, Miss Blake."

"Claire, is it?" Edwards replied over his glasses. He was young, probably in his thirties, but he carried himself to be someone older. Danielsen was definitely older, but he seemed to be following the lead. Miss Blake nodded politely and took one of the seats set up for us, so all of us did the

same. "It's good to meet you, finally. I hope that all has gone well? The Captain tells us that you had a terrible accident."

"Yeah," I replied, not really sure what to follow with. I didn't know what questions would be asked, but I was hoping that somehow, I could get what I wanted. I couldn't just leave with these guys, as nice as they seemed.

"Well, Captain, thank you for your time here," said Edwards. "I assure you that we won't spend much time here before helping your new arrival on her way."

"Oh, it's no trouble, Commander. We've been happy to help her in any way we can, and we can say that she'll be missed." Kirk looked at me, a serious smile on his face. I glanced at Mcoy next to me, who had on his poker face. Edwards took a couple of papers from Miss Blake, and looked over

them carefully before continuing. I noticed then that a box had been placed on a small, side desk next to the woman, and she hit a button that turned on a green light.

"Here we have a few records on Claire, provided by the work that Doctor Mcoy has completed. Doctor, is there anything you'd like to add at this time, any new developments?"

"No, I believe you have it all."

"Very well. There is one thing we don't have, however, and that is the surname. Miss Claire, will you provide that?"

"Stevens?" I replied. "Claire Stevens." I'd expected another nod from the man, but something in the air changed drastically. It was as if everyone had frozen, until I saw Kirk shut his eyes. "Is...everything okay?"

"Your name is Claire Stevens," Edwards said, not a question. He'd implied it like it was too late to change my answer, or something.

"...Yes? Yes, it is."

The man leaned back in resignation. "Then it is confirmed, Captain."

Kirk shook his head. "I still say it's a coincidence. Before we go on, it's necessary we explain everything."

I frowned, fully looking at Mcoy now. "Am I in trouble?" I whispered.

"I...don't think so?"

"Miss Stevens," Edwards spoke, sitting forward again, "there are things we need to cover, as the Captain has stated. We asked him not to mention anything before this, so as not to create a public worry among his crew. From your statement on your surname, as well as the information on

your records, we have an exact match with whom we've been looking for."

"...Looking for?" I asked.

"Yes. We have reason to believe that the Enterprise has unknowingly harbored a recently discovered criminal who calls herself Black Mirage. She is a time-traveler, thief, and murderer, and according to these papers officially given, this person is you."

_ME?! A criminal? Black Mirage? What kind of a dumb name is that? If it really was me, I'd never...wait. _Oh, no. Somehow, with a few details quickly pulling themselves together, I realized that I'd just become the bad guy! On Star Trek! If this _had _been an episode, the dramatic music would play,

the camera would zoom in on my face, and as I looked at Mcoy again, the screen would fade to black.

* * *

_:) Kind of a cheesy end, but that's what it's all about. I've ended up going a little different route on this, so it'll be interesting to see where it leads us. Also, this is where all the Star Trek technicalities (ranks, people, places, etc) come in to play, so if at any time anyone notices anything off, feel free to tell me. I'm by no means a pro, I just like to write. I always get all that stuff mixed up or left behind. Well, hope you enjoyed the chapter! _


	5. How to Survive an Abduction

**Author Note: **Thanks for the new followers and reviews, everyone! Hope you enjoy the chapter! It took me forever to finish it because I decided to change some things right from the start, so you'll have to let me know if everything runs smoothly. Also, do NOT watch Pixar movies when you write. Nothing gets done :D).

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Chapter Four: How to Survive an Abduction or Hostage Situation

* * *

"Captain, I don't understand," Mcoy was whispering.

"I'll explain outside, Bones," Kirk replied. The two walked toward the door, but Mcoy stopped. He said something else, too quiet for anyone to hear. The Captain looked thoughtful, then nodded and motioned for Mcoy to leave. As Kirk took his seat again, I started to wonder how I could have

been accused like this. So quickly, too! I'd been here all of, what, two weeks? Maybe three. Or perhaps a month...I wasn't sure, I could admit. Still, I'd been here the whole time, and I knew that I had people who would vouch for me.

"Now, Miss Stevens," said Danielsen. "You have the right for a fair trial, which will be provided when finalized at Starfleet Headquarters. However, we'd like to take this time to ask a few questions and get our stories straight. That way, we won't be adding more charges to the ones already

pending."

I was irritated, but I nodded. "Okay. I've been here, though, so I don't have anything to hide."

"Yes, we understand that you have an alibi for the past three-and-a-half weeks, however, the record we have on you was filed over two months ago by an anonymous resource."

"Could I ask what file?"

"A...paper trail, you could say," the Commander said seriously. "We have four confirmed victims linked directly to you."

I blinked. "Like, my DNA, or something?"

"Yes."

"How? I didn't kill anyone! Don't you want to hear my side of the story?"

"You'll have your opportunity, Miss Stevens. The Captain and ourselves are going to find someone in your defense. Who that is, we haven't come to a decision, but it will be made. Now, as stated earlier, you have been cited as a time-traveler. From which time do you come?"

_Crap. _I knew it was coming, but with all of this criminal business, anything I did or said would be used against me in a court of law - wasn't that how it went? I hadn't watched enough Law and Order or CSI growing up. "The twenty-first century."

"For what purpose did you come to this time? Why have there been victims?"

"I didn't kill anyone," I insisted. "I had no purpose."

"Did you mean to go somewhere else?"

"No, I had no idea I was going to be here. I'll tell you what I told them - I don't know how I got here. I was at home, I fell asleep, and when I woke up, I was on that planet. Then that thing attacked me."

"Yes," Edwards mused. "That planet. The Captain recently finished business of some civil unrest there. Did you have anything to do with that?"

Sadly, I hadn't watched the entire episode, so I had no idea what had gone on. "I can definitely say that I didn't."

"Do you have your own ship?"

I smiled - cool idea. "Nope."

"Did someone take you there? Why were you left here?"

I shrugged. "I stick with my story. I have no idea who or what brought me here. I'm just...here."

"...Very well." Edwards nodded to Miss Blake, who hit another button on the machine. The light faded, and she placed the box in a white bag I hadn't noticed before. She and the Commanders stood, as well as Kirk, so I followed suit. Edwards stepped forward and faced me, looking a little over

his square glasses. "I believe all that we can ask has been asked, and you've made your statements. From here, you will accompany us to Headquarters to stand before the proper authorities, and a sentence will be administered. Captain Kirk, as you have agreed, you will be there, along with

Doctor Mcoy."

Kirk nodded. "Yes, thank you Commander. We'd be happy to escort yourselves and your ship to - "

Suddenly the doors flew open, and an obviously non-Enterprise personnel hurried in. "Commander, sir, forgive the intrusion, but we found an intruder in the - "

A faint boom echoed from somewhere, and the Red Alert sounded around us. I noticed that Doctor Mcoy was there, but Spock and Nurse Chapel had since moved on. The security guards had their phasers up in both directions of the hall, unsure of where to focus a possible attack. Kirk took out

his communicator and said, "Mister Spock? Is everyone all right? Any casualties reported?"

_"None as of now, Captain. Though spotted in the south hall near the transporter room, the intruder has since vanished from our scanners."_

"Right. Secure the bridge, we're heading up there now."

The Commanders seemed very confused as we walked at a brisk pace. "How could someone have stowed away? There were security scans leaving and arriving..."

"To me, it may seem we have another criminal aboard, Captain," said Danielsen, and though he kept his eyes forward, I knew he was talking about me. I huffed under my breath, and Mcoy leaned in a little closer to me.

"Everything go all right?"

"Other than being accused of some terrible things, I suppose it went well," I whispered, my nose up. He patted my good shoulder as we continued down the hall. Kirk was in the lead, staying close to the Commanders while the rest of security followed behind.

"I'm not sure how we encountered a breach, but as soon as...we arrive..." He turned, as we all did. The red shirts had their guns pointed behind us, having heard something coming in fast approach. Quick, light footsteps were getting louder, and before we could react, some figure was rushing

right past the ammo of the phasers. They aimed their own, wide-barreled gun right at me, and suddenly some metal cord was flying around my arms.

"Whoa! Hey - no!" I yelled, but the attacker had already hoisted me over their shoulder. "Are you serious?! Let go! Let _go _of me!"

I'd never been kidnapped, but I figured my knowledge from the time a policeman came to my school in the fifth grade was enough to get me out of it. I just kicked and struggled, hoping to loosen myself, but the mystery person was incredibly strong. The only reason I knew that they were a

girl was because her dark, wavy hair kept flying into my face. _Why keep your hair down? _I thought. _That's a huge disadvantage because it'll just get in the...wait, what am I doing?! _I was busy having some internal debate as my kidnapper made off with me. She didn't seem to be running as fast

now, though, and I felt an uneven movement in her steps; I wondered if she had been hit. I struggled more, grunting and yelling until I finally slipped back off of her shoulder. I landed heavily, but I finally managed to pull myself onto my knees. I happened to turn, catching my first decent

look at her - which wasn't much. Entirely covering her face and ears was some sort of round mask, thin and featureless. It was just a black oval.

"How can you even breathe or see in that thing?"

I didn't get a response. The girl simply grabbed for me again, and again I started to kick. The cords didn't loosen, but I had a better vantage point being on the ground. The girl couldn't get a proper hold of me, and as we heard someone coming after us, she decided to retreat. I could see a

visible limp as she hurried down the corridor, and then she was gone. The first person to find me was Captain Kirk, who knelt down to examine the binding around my torso; they were really starting to hurt, and almost seemed to be tightening as I moved. Kirk ordered the security men after the

girl - bad idea, someone was probably going to die - and had Mcoy carry me back to the bridge. "You all right?" He asked. "That was pretty intense."

I took a couple of breaths before answering. "Yeah, I'm pretty wired right now." I smiled as Mcoy rolled his eyes.

* * *

"Damage report, Mr. Spock?"

"The explosion made near the transporter room was merely a diversion made by a chemical bomb. No casualties have been reported, and those involved have come out mostly unscathed." He crouched down next to me, observing the still-tight cords around me. "Interesting."

"Keptin," Chekov was saying, "there is no sign of the assailant anyvere - no trace. It is like they disappeared completely from existence."

"Thank you, Mr. Chekov," replied Kirk. He stood next to his chair and hit a button on the arm panel. "Mr Scott?"

_"Aye, Captain," _came the reply. It was kind of cool watching this whole scene play out, like it always had from the series.

"Any reports of the transporter being used since the attack?"

_"No, sir. We're standin' watch for any intruder, though."_

"Good. Mr. Sulu, have any ships at all left the hangar?"

"Negative, sir."

"All good, then. Lieutenant Uhura, go ahead and file the report on a suspicious character aboard the Enterprise, identity unconfirmed."

"She was a girl," I said, though it came out more a wheeze. Spock reached out and touched my arm lightly, a slight frown on his face. Kirk nodded to Uhura before looking down at his First Officer.

"Find something, Mr. Spock?"

"I believe so, Captain. The material on this cord is not common - in fact, it is only found on my home planet, Vulcan. It is a type of lead which, when in this state, constricts whatever it holds as more stress is put onto it."

"Like a Chinese finger trap?' I asked without thinking. Perhaps the suggestion had merely thrown them off, but no one said anything. They probably didn't have those here. "So, I just need to stop moving," I corrected, and he nodded.

"It is vital you do, for the wire has already begun to cut through. If you will excuse me, Captain," Spock stood, "I believe I have the right tool for this."

"Thank you, Mr. Spock. I'm sure Miss Stevens will be happy to get out of that contraption." He nodded to Spock, who took his leave. Finally, he looked to Mcoy. "Doctor, does she have any other injuries?"

"Oh, a couple of bruises, a little bump to the head, but nothing serious, thankfully."

"Are you in much pain, Claire?"

I nearly shrugged, then I remembered Spock's warning. "I'm okay. I'm just trying to invent a way to breathe without moaning like a baby."

He laughed, as did a couple other people, and then he took his seat and thought carefully. After a moment he looked up at the Commanders. "I'm not sure, but if I had to come to a conclusion, I would say that the person who tried to kidnap Claire was the Black Mirage you're looking for. They

fit the description perfectly - female, wearing all black, and she was there and gone the next, like a mirage."

Commander Edwards nodded, removing his glasses. "I agree. This turn of events has left me unsure of what to think. However, the hard evidence is still there."

The Captain leaned back a little. "People are easily framed. Black Mirage is a time-traveler, so the DNA could have been gathered from anywhere."

I refrained from smiling. Good ol' Captain Kirk was totally defending me, and totally right. Whoever this person was, they were doing all they could to make sure I got in trouble. I still coudn't understand it, since I knew I was innocent. Sadly, the facts told everyone else otherwise, and you didn't

win cases by popular vote. I continued thinking as everyone around me did their own work, and the Captain talked with the Commanders. Eventually the door to the bridge slid open and Spock walked in. In his hands he carried a white box, and he made his way over to free me. The box looked

like a first aid kit, and popped open easily to reveal an odd assortment of things. Some of it actually looked like things I recognized, but others I couldn't even guess at. Doctor Mcoy leaned in curiously and frowned. I smiled - he looked like he wanted to take everything out and see what

everything did. Spock simply pulled out a pair of scissors, took hold of one area of the wire, and cut. My first instinct was to shake my arms out, but Spock held up a hand to stop me. He took a bottle and a wad of cotton, poured the contents - which was blue, I noticed - and applied it to my

arms. It immediately stung.

"What are you doing there?" Mcoy asked. He crinkled his nose when a slight odor rose up from the liquid. "It smells like peroxide, but..."

"It is, Doctor, or our own version of it. Normally the wire is coated in a sedative, which I am surprised to find absent."

"A sedative? What for?"

"This is hunting wire, Doctor, and not for the smallest of animals. Whatever resources the attacker has, she has chosen them wisely. This solution is to counter the effects of the sedative as well as prevent infection."

The Captain stood, moving over to the Commanders and talking quietly. Then he looked around at everyone and said, "If you'll excuse us, we'll be talking a few matters over privately. I'll be back shortly, but for now, Mr. Spock has the com. Doctor Mcoy, will you take Miss Stevens back to medical

bay when finished here?"

"Yes, Captain."

Spock stood, gathering the cord in his arm after boxing everything up. "Doctor, if you would take these with you, I will be by to collect them later. I will also have a team sent down to examine the attack point, to collect any evidence possibly left behind. I believe it would be wise to keep

security with you until the Captain notifies otherwise."

Mcoy nodded, motioning for me to follow him. I spent the time walking down to sick bay observing the marks on my arms. They weren't too deep, but they were red and still ached. I replayed the events in my head, trying to figure out who that could have been, or why they wanted me, of all

people. I had little doubts they'd been the one to frame me, as Kirk had said, but...why? Many questions were left unanswered as we arrived, and Mcoy was quiet as he performed one more exam on me. He was about to pull his scanner away when he stopped, frowning. He looked over his

tablet and pursed his lips, then looked up at me. "How are you feeling?"

"Did you get something?"

"It could just be the excitement of what happened, but your heart seems to be working a little harder. Can't you notice it?"

I paused, focusing. Now that I did, I could feel my own heart beat; it was pumping like I'd just finished a light run - which for me, wasn't much. I didn't feel out of breath, though. "I'm okay. Just the adrenaline, I guess?"

He finally nodded, then observed the monitor above me. "Just get some rest for now. Let me know if you feel any changes."

I didn't really want to sleep, but there wasn't much else to do. I finally spotted a book I'd been reading and chose to do that instead, but I didn't get very far. My eyes started to flutter after a while, and though I moved around and sat up straighter, it didn't help. Finally I just relaxed, letting

the book rest on my stomach, and...

I was running. Again.

Someone was with me, their arm around me tightly as we hurried down the halls of the Enterprise. I looked up and found Mcoy, who was obviously panicked and desperate to get wherever we were going. Worried, I ran faster to keep up with him; what was wrong? Finally we reached a large

set of doors, which slid open to reveal the ship's hangar. Scottie was there, waving us over and watching the door. Mcoy immediately helped me into the ship prepared for us, then said something to the pilot, who I hardly noticed. I'd been looking for the seat belts when I'd noticed something

incredibly off, and I stopped what I was doing. My stomach bulged under my shirt, telling me that I was most definitely pregnant. Why was I pregnant?!

"What's going on?" I asked, and Mcoy turned to me. "What happened?"

He looked at me sadly, then touched the side of my face and sighed. "You'll be okay," he said, and leaned in. Before I could argue, his lips were on mine, firm and seemingly final. Like it was the last time he was going to do it. He finally pulled away, then whispered, "It's not your fault, okay?

I love you, Claire, so much. You'll be safe now."

"Why are you...?" I asked, but he was already leaving and shut the door on me. "It's not my fault? What's not my fault?"

"Claire, wake up. Wake up."

"...Not my fault...not my fau..." I opened my eyes, finding Mcoy's face a little too close to mine. He'd...kissed me in that dream. I'd kissed him!

"You were tossing around, and I was worried you'd fall. Everything all right?"

"Oh, y-yeah, just a strange dream, I guess."

The main lights were off, the only one coming from Mcoy's work area by the door. Mcoy straightened up, frowning. "What were you dreaming about? You kept...blaming yourself for something."

"I, uh, don't really remember much," I said, glad it was dark - I was totally blushing. "We were running, is all."

"We?"

"Yeah, you and I. You told me, "It's not your fault." I have no idea why, though. I tried to ask, but then I woke up."

"I apologize, Claire."

"How long have I been asleep?" I ruffled my hair, yawning. I felt really groggy, like I hadn't slept at all. "What's going on with the Starfleet guys?"

"Oh, it's about five in the morning. You've been out for a good nine hours, and with good reason. The readings I'm getting from you keep coming and going from normal to..." He struggled with the word.

"...Not normal?"

Mcoy smiled, settling on my suggestion. "I just can't explain it, but I'm keeping a close eye on it. There's something...I need to talk to you about, if that's all right."

"Sure," I said, sitting up straighter. He took his own seat by my side, taking a folded paper from his pocket.

"Mr. Spock had a team go down to that area where that intruder found us, to see if anything had been left behind. One of the men happened to get a good shot in and we were able to collect a blood sample."

I smiled. "So, she's who they're looking for, right?"

"It was a match, but not what we were expecting."

When he didn't continue, I tapped his shoulder. "What's wrong?"

He hesitated, his lips pressed into a thin line. Finally he looked at me and said in a low voice, "She's not Black Mirage. According to all the information we ran, the girl we saw is...your child. She's you're daughter, Claire."

I couldn't help it - I laughed.

* * *

_I keep ending these on cliffhangers. I'm a sucker for 'em, I guess :)_


	6. All Rise!

**Author Note: Wow, it's been a few, uh, days, sorry. Real life is so distracting :) We should all just hang out here. Well, hope you enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter Five: All Rise!

* * *

It was one o' clock, and I couldn't feel more uneasy. Well, that was probably an exaggeration, but it was how I was feeling currently. It was fitting, because I was still in sick bay. Since Mcoy had told me about the apparent child I had, the Starfleet Commanders had decided on another 'gathering'.

They called it that, but Captain Kirk later told me that the Officials at Starfleet Headquarters had given the men here the go ahead to hold a hearing, in which they'd determine the connection I had with the girl as well as my final sentence.

"Aren't they just going to hold another one there? Thus making more work for them?" I'd asked. "Can they do that? They need a judge and a jury, and that big guy who stands next to the judge..."

Kirk had interrupted my rant with a shake of his head. "They're called with that authority, and we've been asked as representatives where needed."

"So, I won't have a defense? I think even in this time I have the right to an attorney, don't I?"

He'd smiled. "You will. Mr. Spock has volunteered for that, and Doctor Mcoy will be there to support you."

I'd sighed. "I just don't get it. Do you think I'm really guilty? I mean, really."

"Someone has made it _very _difficult to get you out of this predicament, but I just have a gut feeling that you're innocent. Many of us do."

At least that had given me comfort, and as I thought of the conversation again, I calmed myself a little. I just continued to give myself that positive reinforcement - I was in one of my favorite shows, and if this was anything like I knew, everything would get solved. For some reason, things just

worked out, and it'd be okay. I thought about this until the doors opened, and in walked Spock. If anyone was going to be able to defend me, it was Mr. Logical. He'd find every loophole and reason for me to be innocent. I swung my legs off of my bed and looked up at him, noting him to be

dressed in his nicer uniform. It looked good on him, and his serious expression made him look all the more dignified.

"It seems I am finding a habit of personally escorting you to places you'd rather not be."

I smiled, standing. "Yeah, but you do a good job of it. Thanks for helping out. The Captain told me you were going to defend me."

He stepped away from the door, motioning for me to pass, and nodded. "Yes. I have researched it, because I found the situation highly illogical. I _did _consider the evidence presented by the Officials; however, I see no reason as to why you should be guilty. I'm interested in how this will all turn

out, in the end."

I laughed. "If there's anyone I'd trust with this, I'd trust you, Spock."

He looked down at me as we walked. "You have an unusually high confidence in others."

"...Thanks?" I said, smiling.

Not many people were around, but whenever we passed a set or two of crew members, I noticed the sideways glances. The people were wary, and I knew that rumors must have spread pretty quickly. We turned another corner, and I was pleased to find it empty. I kept walking until I noticed

that Spock had slowed in his pace. We were in that same hall as before, the one with the big windows, and he seemed lost in thought as he stared out. Claire, we have some time before we speak with the Officials. May I inquire something of you?"

I shrugged. "Of course."

He seemed so focused on something in that vast emptiness; how he did it I'd never know. I just stared until he decided to speak again. "You asked me once if I tired of my work, or my time spent here. You wondered if I ever longed for my home."

I sensed a teaching moment coming on, but I wasn't sure exactly where he was going with it. "Yeah," I said. "Do you?"

"Your talk of traditions and family kept me thinking. On my planet, our traditions are what keeps our race alive and civilized, as it is now. We live only for them, and it is something I do think of often. Humanity, as fascinating as it appears, is flawed in many ways. Your kind, as you said, casts aside

tradition as soon as it becomes inconvenient, or 'boring', and they develop new ones so as to go on - like nothing has changed."

"So, we're the same," I concluded. "Neither of us can live without it, in one form or another."

He shook his head. "You misunderstand. My race does nothing to change tradition - that would be illogical. I mean no offense, but humans use it more as a crutch."

I smiled, understanding. "Yeah, we kind of do, don't we?"

Spock was silent for a long moment, and I decided that was the end of a strange conversation. Then he turned to me and said, "It is physically, mentally, and scientifically impossible for a person to simply wish themselves to another time. As much as one may desire, they cannot alter what is fact."

A thought was suddenly coming to mind, perhaps for him as well, and I wasn't sure how I felt about it. "...What if..." I began, then I shook my head. "No, just kidding."

"You should say what you mean to," Spock replied.

I rolled my eyes at myself. "What if...it was magic?" _What if I _did _wish myself here? _

I didn't have to even look back at him to know what his face was doing. He was quiet for a moment. Finally he replied, "To that, I am unsure. I do not...believe in such things, but many people do - especially a human. It is a concept, to my understanding, that they rely on, to accept the

impossible things in their lives. It is, again, a crutch; a necessity."

I could agree with that. I didn't know a single person - except now, perhaps Spock - who didn't have something magical they were interested in, in one way or another. We latched onto it because it was just so completely unreal, something we knew would never happen, but we accepted it in

our lives. Could it happen, though? Had it? I thought about my life at home, how things just weren't right, and miserable I ended up being by the end of most days. Family members didn't talk to each other, unless it was about someone else, I wasn't doing anything in my life - crappy job, no

school, no ambition for anything. There were so many things I wanted, and I couldn't have them. People told me I was too young to have any real heartache, but they were wrong. The only place I could find comfort was in something that wasn't real. Here, I felt invincible, like nothing bad could

really happen, because the characters would always take care of the problems, of each other. I didn't want to leave.

"Claire?" Spock was saying.

"S-Sorry, I...did you say something?"

"No. However, it is time to move on. The Captain and Officials are waiting."

"Oh, yeah. I totally forgot for a second." My stomach did an uneasy flip. "You sure it's not too late to hide me?" Spock frowned in curiosity - the closest he could get to confusion - and I laughed. "I'm kidding, Spock. Running would be a really stupid idea."

He nodded, still with an eyebrow raised. "Agreed."

Waiting in the "courtroom" was a pretty decent crowd. Kirk was talking seriously with the Commanders and Miss Blake, Doctor Mcoy at his side, and a few security men stood at attention. If their intention was to intimidate me, it was working. At noticing our arrival, Kirk invited everyone to sit

so as to get the show on the road. Official statements were made, Commander Daniels explained my case for the record and the evidence against me. I really couldn't believe this was happening. Kirk was called up first, and after taking an oath of honesty, he explained his part of the story

- starting with the Mugato incident, as he called it.

"What exactly is the creature, Captain?" Daniels asked.

"Not much is know about them, to be honest. They're wild, hunt by themselves, and poisonous - any victim would die in a matter of hours. Doctor Mcoy and I were fortunate to have found Miss Stevens when we did, before the attack became more serious."

Yes." Danielsen nodded. "As we understand it, you were there to try and understand why the civilians had been experiencing some unrest - they were taking arms to one another. According to your report, you were able to finish your work there after Miss Stevens was brought into the care of

your ship's doctor."

"That's correct."

"Very well. Captain Kirk, you may step down at this time. I'd like to call Doctor Leonard Mcoy to the chair."

Mcoy stood, habitually fixing his shirt a little. We managed to steal a glance at one another before he sat and took the oath. Daniels paused as Miss Blake hit a couple of buttons on the machine with her, then continued when he nodded.

"Doctor Mcoy, you've been a physician on this ship for some time, correct?"

"Yes."

"Was the cause for Miss Steven's condition upon finding her difficult to undertake?"

"You mean the poison," Mcoy guessed, and Danielsen nodded. "Yes. I'd never encountered anything like it before. However, as you can see, we were able to cure Claire."

"We received your medical report, but could you share with us a summary of some of her symptoms, and how the cure managed to be developed in such a short time?"

"Well, it wasn't that a cure was _found, _necessarily. It was like a highly concentrated snake venom, and we simply calculated all of the necessary adjustments to a vaccine. Her symptoms were elevated - fever, dementia, anger, hysteria. She was incredibly ill."

Danielsen turned toward Mcoy, looking thoughtful. I wondered where this was all going. I was starting to get a little bored, having thought this was going to be a little more simple. It was a regular court case, just as Kirk had said. "One symptom caught our attention in your report, as it has now.

You said she was angered. Did she do anything? Hurt anyone?"

"No. She tried to struggle, more than anything."

"Did she say anything in particular, anything you find relevant to the situation?"

Mcoy was quiet, then finally nodded. "She said she didn't want to go home. She had no way back. She didn't want to leave."

Again, the talking-in-my-sleep thing was proving to be a bad habit of mine. Apparently with a fever, I was a raging mad-woman. Mcoy's honesty didn't seem to be helping me, and I sure hope that Spock had all of his ducks in a row to defend me..

"Have you seen any changes in Miss Stevens since her arrival here?"

"No, except a healthy recovery. No trace of the poison has been found."

Technically he was telling the truth, but he'd decided to skip the part about the abnormal readings he was getting. I wondered if that was the smart thing, or why he'd done it. Danielsen seemed to accept it and nodded. "Thank you, doctor, you may step down. Now, I'd like to move onto the

attack witnessed by all of us here on the Enterprise. While the identity remained unknown at the time, we were led to believe that this person was the criminal, Black Mirage, and not Miss Stevens, that she had been framed by this person somehow. Another thesis was that the two were

working in a ploy to help Claire Stevens escape the Enterprise, so not as to face judgement. During the attack, one of the security personnel managed to shoot the attacker, which left behind a blood sample for the medical staff to observe. The conclusion we've discovered is that the person

may indeed be working with Miss Stevens, because the two are related. The assailant is female, and the apparent offspring of Claire. This is where the time-traveling comes into play, or the idea would have been..."

I somehow stopped listening. I really wasn't sure where they were going with it all, but my attention span was leaving. I was starting to feel off, too, like I hadn't eaten for a while. My stomach was doing subtle, uncomfortable flips every once in a while. I blinked a couple of times and shook

my head, and I realized that everyone was looking at me.

"Claire Stevens, please step forward," said Commander Edwards, having repeated it. I stood up quickly.

"Sorry," I said. "Just lost in thought." I went and say, promised to tell the whole truth and nothing but it, and got ready to defend myself. When was Spock going to kick their butts with his logic?

"Miss Stevens, there are several facts we'd like you to confirm, with a simple 'yes' or 'no'."

I nodded. "Yes."

"Thank you. Firstly, we've confirmed that you're from the twenty-first century, and that you claim to have no understanding of how you got here. Do you stand by this?"

"Yes." I remembered my conversation with Spock, but I felt I could be honest on this one.

"Had you been on the planet for some time?"

"No. I was probably there twenty minutes before the...Mugatu thing attacked me."

"You came alone?" He asked pressingly.

"Yes. I'm positive."

"Have you left the ship at any time since boarding, for any reason?"

"No."

Danielsen fell silent for a couple of seconds, thinking everything over. He finally looked at Commander Edwards and said, "I've said all I need to."

Edwards nodded, then looked over at Spock. "The defense may step forward at this time."

Everyone turned to watch him stand, and the air changed. Everything was riding on what he said, and would determine where I'd end up. Spock took his seat, and he seemed to look pretty comfortable. Professional, confident, and thoughtful. He really was the perfect person to get me out

of this.

"Mr. Spock. Please give us your statement."

I managed to look over at Kirk and Mcoy before Spock began. Kirk, as always, was looking interested in what his logical, Vulcan friend had to say, the smallest smile on his face. Mcoy looked a little tired and preoccupied over his thoughts, but not worried.

"I was not with the Captain or the doctor when Miss Stevens was brought here. At the time I was recovering from an injury made when we first visited the planet."

"Yes, this was covered with the Captain. You were shot?"

_He was shot? _I thought in surprise. I didn't remember that happening, but I had been falling asleep as I watched the episode. "By whom?" Asked Edwards.

"One of the natives. They had been given weapons by an outside source, and many were attacking their own kind. I was caught in the cross-fire and was taken back to the ship."

"Therefore, Doctor Mcoy was not only caring for Miss Stevens, but yourself?"

"No. There was another doctor here who practices in Vulcan medicine, a doctor M'Benga."

"Understood. Please continue," said Edwards, pushing up his glasses a little. Now was the time for everything to come to a conclusion.

"I believe," Spock replied, "that the evidence against Miss Stevens is well-placed, and that it was clear by whomever is against her that there would be no chance of escaping her sentence. However, everyone who has spoken on her behalf are certain that she is innocent. I, too, am convinced

of this, because there is no logical way that Claire Stevens, at this time, is a criminal."

Edwards frowned curiously. "At this time?"

"The girl who attacked this ship has been proven to be her daughter. At _this_ time," Spock repeated, "this is impossible. They are nearly the same age, according to the date given."

"Yes," Edwards agreed, leaving the response hanging in the air.

"Therefore, this person has come back to alter something. Whatever Claire will yet do, this person feels some moral responsibility to prevent that."

"If I may," interrupted Danielsen, "how do you know that the girl _wasn't _trying to take her from here to do more work together? You weren't there at the time."

Spock shook his head, ignoring the comment. "I was not. However, I was informed that Miss Stevens was not adamant about being taken. Also, the fact that the intruder could not be found so quickly - without any trace of leaving this ship - tells us that she's made it possible to keep herself

very well-hidden when needed. If she really was to take Miss Stevens with her, she would have done it in a more private manner, without anyone knowing. This criminal is smart, but careless, having allowed herself to be out in the open to be shot. Now her identity is known, and her plans

are delayed."

"Is it possible she may be here, in this very room?"

Without hesitating, Spock nodded. "It is."

The court seemed to pause a moment, and I caught a couple of eyes staring at me, perhaps waiting for me to make a break for it. Since I most definitely wasn't going to do that, I remained comfortably in my seat and waited.

"Do you believe this has changed anything in the favor of Miss Stevens?" Edwards asked.

"Yes. We have no way to track the girl, but we know that she does not want Claire for partnership reasons. It's possible that, because of the responsibility she feels she carries, she had to take measures into her own hands to receive the justice she wants."

"Commander?" Danielsen asked, wanting to speak. Edwards nodded after a moment. "This is turning into a personal approach. Not from yourself, Mr. Spock, but from this girl. Everything she seems to do is led by her own desires. The evidence still stands, and that is what the Officials work

for."

Spock nodded. "And for that, it is what I have worked for. I do not have hard evidence in Miss Stevens' favor, but I have facts, to which everyone who has come to know her will agree to, no matter how many trials are placed. We know that since she's been here, she has had no time to do

anything, and she has repeatedly stated honestly that she has had no reason to commit a crime."

Edwards nodded, but he said, "However, we are still unsure of how she came to this time. If her daughter, nor anyone else, brought her here, that who - or what - did?"

Spock was quiet for a moment. I leaned forward a little, hanging on his words. Finally he looked up. "I thought a lot over it, and I did not come to a definite conclusion."

Edwards sighed, a deflating, resigning motion. "Again, the lack of evidence. We can't believe she simply came here, like magic."

I looked up at Spock then, very directly. He seemed to catch the same gaze. What would he say? Did he doubt himself now? I knew that everyone, in their hearts, knew that his argument was actually a strong one, and that he technically had to be right, but the evidence was there. "I do not

believe in magic - to me, it is made up. However, there are many things we do not understand. Whomever brought her here had a reason, which they've unfortunately decided to keep to themselves."

"Do you believe the explanation is scientific?" Danielsen asked.

"Yes."

"Even though science has to have something conclusive?"

"One does not have to see the sun to know it exists," Spock replied politely. I stifled a laugh.

"Excuse me, Commander," said Kirk, standing. "I think we need to perhaps stop talking about why the sky is blue, and get back to concluding this meeting. There are many things we all have to get done, right?"

"Agreed," Edwards replied, looking relieved. "Mr. Spock, you may step down. Now, both parties have stated what they've prepared against and in defense of Miss Stevens. The evidence has been placed, but as Mr. Spock previously stated, it may have been easily placed for framing purposes.

Therefore, be it resolved, that due to the information presented by the defense as well as Miss Stevens' plea, I hereby conclude Miss Stevens to be 'not guilty'."

I'd been holding my breath a little, and let it out finally in one big whoosh. I couldn't believe it. Everything had been pitted against me, and somehow I'd made it out alive. I was innocent. Of _course _I was, but I couldn't have done it on my own. I'd sort of expected the Commander to slam down

some futuristic mallet, but everyone simply stood. I followed suit and waited for something else to happen, which ended up being Spock turning to me. "That was a rather interesting event," he commented, and I laughed.

"I...thank you do much. Seriously, you were the right man for the job."

"I am pleased that all turned to be in your favor," he replied.

Mcoy was nearby, and he smiled. "You, pleased, Mr. Spock?"

Spock paused, then said, "A simple response, Doctor."

I smiled, too. I could hug all of them right about now.

* * *

_Yeah, this is turning out so differently! I had a much shorter court scene, and I know I'm not too great knowing exactly how a hearing goes, so if anyone sees any crucial mistakes or things that just...seem not how it should run, just let me know. I'll try to have the next chapter up MUCH more quickly this next time. Thanks!_


	7. The Mother's Curse - Works Every Time

**Author Note: Hey everyone! I'm so sorry for another delay. I used to be so good at getting these things updated. Thanks so much for the new followers and favorites, and continued readers.**

* * *

Chapter Six: The Mother's Curse - Works Every Time

* * *

"Try to take another deep breath," said McCoy.

I did so, and coughed again. I groaned a little. "Ouch..."

He shook his head, looking at his tablet. "I don't like it. Go ahead and lay back. Relax as much as you can."

"This is silly," I said. "I was fine a few hours ago."

"We'll just keep an eye on it, and see if it calms down a little. The last thing we need is for the Officials to learn that you're sick again."

I rolled my eyes in agreement. "What are they going to do now?"

McCoy raised an eyebrow. "The first step was clearing your name. Now they're deciding on when to send you home. The only problem with _that_..." He left the sentence in the air, and I sighed. I folded my arms, looking away.

"I know. I don't exactly have a plan, but telling them I'm from another dimension would create a whole new set of problems." I cleared my throat, and coughed without meaning to. My chest ached uncomfortably.

"Claire, could we talk about this, before it's too late? I know you're not feeling well, but it needs to be done. It's time for us to figure things out, because if we don't," he paused to take a seat next to me, "they'll send you where you don't belong." Then he looked directly at me, an all-business

kind of expression. He didn't say anything after that, only waited for me to talk. I groaned.

"Why...would it be so bad to stay here? On this ship or in the past, it doesn't matter to me. _My _world isn't exactly where I want to be."

"Why, Claire? What things are happening that it's so bad you don't want to go back to it?"

"People here must have perfect families, I guess," I mumbled. "There's a lot of things that could keep someone from being in their own home. I don't need to talk about it, but the point is, I'm not happy there. It wouldn't matter to them if I was gone..."

"I think it would. If you were my daughter, I'd wonder every second where you were. I'd worry about you, and I think your parents are doing the same."

"Well, you're not my Dad," I insisted. "Definitely not him. Can we just not...talk about this? Maybe this is a chance for me to start over, you know? I'm here for a reason, so why not take it for what it is?"

McCoy sat back, thoughtful. Then he looked up at me knowingly. "The problem is, you not only want to stay in this world, but in this time. You want to stay with us. I don't know how possible that's going to be."

I closed my eyes, laying back against my pillow. "...Yeah. I know. That's why I'm hoping for a miracle. Captain Kirk is good at negotiation, isn't he?"

McCoy laughed quietly, running a hand through his hair. "There are only so many things one man can do, Claire. He'll do his best, I can promise you that." He stood, then, looking down at me. "If it's any consolation, your parents do miss you, no matter what problems there are. They love you

more than you can imagine. You should get some rest for now, and I'll be back in a while."

There wasn't much that could be done at that point. I really did need to rest, if I didn't want more problems from the Officials. As I got comfortable and closed my eyes, I thought of the possible outcomes. If I was lucky - ridiculously so - then I could stay here with the crew. No one would ever

question it. If I went to the past, I could most likely start a new life, a new identity kind of deal. I wondered if sending me there would somehow send me _home, _to my family, and I really didn't want that. As I'd told McCoy, I wouldn't be missed, no matter what he said. No one there had done a

very good job of making me think otherwise, so why bother with them? I needed to find a happy environment, even if that meant I had to create every part of it myself. I didn't need anyone to help me out, I was an adult. I'd missed out on too much experience by staying; I hadn't been one of

those kids to move out at seventeen-whatever to make my independence. Now was the time. I felt good about that decision, letting in surround my thoughts as I fell asleep.

"Wake up!" Someone hissed. I jumped myself awake, looking around. How long had I been out? The lights were only coming from the other room, and it was eerily quiet. I looked around, not sure if the voice had been from a dream I couldn't remember, and stretched groggily. "Hey, get up."

The voice came again, and I sat up straight. I finally noticed a dark figure near my bedside, looking intimidating.

"What?" I asked. "Who are you?"

The figure didn't answer. They stepped forward, and when I didn't see a face even in the dim light I realized who it was. That girl was back, set on finishing the task she'd come with. I opened my mouth to yell, but stopped when she pressed a knife to my throat. "You..." I wheezed. "You won't

kill me."

"Why not?" Her voice seemed out of place, too sweet for the getup she was wearing. It was soft and pleasant, if not threatening. "It'll make my job easier."

"I just...don't think you came to kill me. Right?"

The girl hesitated, then pulled the tip of the blade away a little. "We'll see. Get up."

"Why?" I asked. The girl's body language changed, and I could imagine the annoyed look on her face. "What could you possibly need me for? I'm nobody."

"I know," she snarled. "That's why you're coming with me. _Now." _

I took only one more moment to consider escaping, but I knew I couldn't do it. I'd be dead before I took two leaps at the door. So, I eased myself out of bed and raised my hands, which the girl took. Instantly she had them in some advanced cuffs, completely encased below the wrists. With the

knife at my back, the two of us walked right out the door and into the halls. I'd been hoping to find McCoy or anyone in the other room, but it was vacant. The halls were too, and I had to let my eyes adjust to the brighter lighting out here. What time was it that no one was around? "Um," I

began, "I have a question or two."

"I don't really care."

"W-Well, I mean, if you're sending me to my death, or prison or whatever, then don't I deserve that?"

"You deserve a lot of things." The tone was bitter, making me turn a little.

"...Who are you? Are you really who they say you are?"

"Who would that be?"

I looked at her a little more fully, which ended up being awkward with her still pushing me. "Hold up already, jeez! After the attack, they found your blood - it came right back to me. Are you...my daughter?"

She didn't answer, and I was forced to face forward again. I growled and kept going until we turned the corner - nearly running into a crew member. "Hey - " I started. The man blinked a couple of times, looking over my shoulder, but then he shook his head. I watched him in confusion as he

disappeared down the hall. "What happened?" I turned on the girl and could practically feel her smiling through her mask. "Why didn't he see us?"

"It's all thanks to you, Claire."

I frowned. "You lost me. Why not stop with the cryptic crap already?"

The girl shrugged, starting up our march once again. "You're right. I probably should tell you a few things. There's not going to be anything better to do on our way to Headquarters. The reason why that man couldn't see or hear you is because of a cloaking device, wrapped around your hands.

I have one as well, in my belt."

"...Then how can I see you? How can you see _me?!_" I asked, still confused, laughing a little. This was getting ridiculous!

"I didn't have it on until he showed up, otherwise you _wouldn't _be able to see me. Mine is off again. Yours, on the other hand, is constant. I can see you because of my mask."

I blinked, then shook my head. "Yeah, I guess I'll just trust you. It sounds overly-complicated, but I'm not really that smart for these things."

The gun was still in my backside, nudging me along. "Don't be so sure," the girl said quietly. "You're the one who made it. A technology that hides a living person from ship scanners? I have to admit was your best work."

I fell quiet, thinking. We passed a few people after that, and from their sleepy faces I gathered that it was early morning. I wondered when McCoy would notice I was gone. My lips tightened in anger; I couldn't believe I was getting kidnapped! I didn't even know why, either!

"Finally," the girl muttered after a while.. We passed through a set of gigantic doors, and it was obvious we'd found the hangar of the Enterprise. Easily walking right past security guards, we made our way to a couple of docked ships, fancy-looking things that were most likely from Starfleet.

"We're going to steal that?" I hissed. The girl pulled me along until we literally were sitting in plain sight, but invisible to everyone who had a chance to help me.

"We're going to wait," she replied. "It won't be long before they realize anything, and one way or another, a ship will leave. We'll just hop on."

"You...won't kill anyone, will you?"

The girl looked at me. "Only if you cooperate."

* * *

_Cooperate, my butt,_ I thought miserably, a couple of frustrated tears falling down my face. I had to wipe them away onto my shoulder, since my hands were still locked up. I hadn't even been able to cover my ears when the shooting had started. It really hadn't taken too much time for a group

to come down to the hangar. After the ship had been unsuccessful in finding us, Kirk, Spock, the Officials, and McCoy had gone down to talk to Scotty. It was decided that the Officials would head back to Starfleet to report me missing, while security would search the ship the best they could.

Scotty had again confirmed that no ships had left the Enterprise, so everyone had to assume I was still here, with the criminal. At least they hadn't thought I'd run away...

Well, they probably would, now. The second ship carried Starfleet security, only three or four men who'd unknowingly stowed away a couple of sneaks. We sat at the back after sliding through the door, and it wouldn't have mattered how much I shouted; I couldn't be heard. I'd been tempted

to nudge one of them, but that would have looked crazy and I figured that my kidnapper would keep her word. Before I or anyone else realized it, though, she'd pulled out her gun and shot them within seconds, grabbing the controls as if nothing had happened. The ship with the officials hadn't

suspected a thing, and I could see us approaching Earth now. My time was short, now, and I hadn't gotten the chance to ask the girl more questions. I was too angry, and she didn't seem to mind the silence.

"You..." I finally said after a while. "You're terrible. Why did you do this to me? Why won't you tell me what I did?"

"_You _are terrible. You're worse than terrible, Claire. A child should never have to grow up with someone like you as a mother. _You _turned me into who I am today."

"Why?" I asked desperately. "What happened to me? Why did I turn out that way? If you don't tell me, I can't stop it!"

The girl shook her head. "It doesn't matter what I tell you. Destiny cannot be changed, no matter how many paths you take to get away from it. I'm locking you up now so you'll never do any harm to anyone."

I looked out the window again. We were on earth, and it was late evening. I didn't know when we'd reach the base, so I had to get anything I could out of her. "Okay, so I'll have an eternity to live with it, right? So just tell me - that's what you want, isn't it? To make me suffer?"

The girl was quiet for a while. She finally shook her head, more to herself, it seemed, then sighed. "Fine. My name is Joanna. You're most definitely my mother - that's the last time I'll ever acknowledge it - and this happened all because of that creature that bit you."

"The Mugato thing? That gorilla?! What happened?"

"Long story short, you got sick. You should be getting more sick, soon, delusional and crazy, and nothing will stop it."

"Wasn't a cure made?"

"Of course there was! It took a while, but Doctor McCoy did everything he could to cure you. You repaid him by destroying it in your madness."

"...Then I became a killer?"

"Yes. A killer, a thief, whatever you could do that wasn't honest work. I never did understand why you did what you did, but you involved me, your little daughter. An innocent kid who lost everything good in her, because of you."

I shook my head. "I'm not that person. I've always wanted a little girl, a beautiful little tyke who was just like me. I had to have loved you...right?"

"No, you didn't," she muttered. "You used me for things you couldn't get to yourself. You got me caught more than a few times, and bailed. Sending you here will at least keep you contained as you lose your mind, and I'll rest easy."

I took a seat on the passenger side, wishing I could take her hand. A strange wave of sympathy had begun to wash over me. An unconditional sense of protection was bubbling inside of me, knowing that this girl really was my daughter. My heart felt...warm. I just wanted her to make the

right decision, and help her figure everything out. "If you do this...you won't exist, right?" Changing what happens now will mean that I won't get to have you."

Joanna shrugged. "Like I said, I'll be resting easy. You can't imagine how tired I am. Doing this will finally put an end to all of it."

"What about your father? Is he still alive? Don't you think he's worried?"

She laughed. "He doesn't worry about me. He was always more concerned about his work, than his own flesh and blood."

I turned away from her, my heart pounding a little over my next words. "Who is he?"

"Why don't I ask you? Who do you think it was?"

I hesitated, then shook my head. "I don't know. I...had a thought, but I figured it was just me being silly." Joanna didn't respond, an expectant silence, so I continued. "I had a dream recently. I had a feeling that...McCoy was the father. Is he? If he is, I don't know why you're saying that

he doesn't care. He cares about everyone, despite that tough-guy act."

"Doctor McCoy was the only person who kept me sane after all that you did."

I frowned, not sure what that meant, but Joanna didn't want to talk after that. We arrived at Starfleet headquarters shortly, with a transmission confirming that everything was in order with the two ships. I heard Danielsen's voice confirm, but I knew that no one would respond on our end.

All of the security personnel were men, and as I looked at them, sprawled lifelessly where they'd fallen, I let my shoulders hang. Time was up. Joanna uncuffed my hands, opened the door, and before she walked out, she looked at me one last time before tossing her weapon to the ground.

Then she was gone. I hardly had time to react before men were positioned outside the ship, asking for me to leave. The realization hit me on what Joanna had done, and more tears pooled in my eyes. To everyone, it was going to look like I'd acted alone, having killed a group of innocent men.

"Will the party inside please step out?" A voice called again. I stepped out onto the landing pad, finding a couple of men with guns poised, ready to fire. Danielsen and Edwards were there near the front, looking slightly shocked. I held out my hands in surrender, the embarrassment and

hurt keeping my gaze towards the ground. It didn't taken much to conclude what had happened, and I was arrested right on the spot as men carried out orders to bring the bodies in. One of the guards brought me before the Officials before being taken through the doors.

"Where do we send her, sir?"

Danielsen's mouth had fallen open a little, and he shook his head. "I don't understand..."

"Miss Stevens, explain yourself." Edwards stepped forward, his face all business. "How is it that you managed to get here by yourself?"

I shook my head. "Look, uh, I'm really tired. If you want to put me in a cell, please get one with a bed. I can explain everything then, but...I don't know if you'll believe. I don't really care right now."

Though I didn't say it, I was grateful that the Officials seemed supportive, and I was more thankful that Joanna had given them mercy in not getting on their ship. I wondered about that, why, if she really wanted me to get in trouble, that she hadn't just killed them. They were the big cheeses

around here, so shooting them would have put me in for life, for sure. I was re-cuffed and placed into a comfortable enough cell, with my one request sitting against the wall invitingly. Some sleep would be nice, and even a cell bed would do wonders. Edwards stayed behind with Danielsen,

and the two were waiting for me to say anything. I was still trying to keep my emotions under control, sniffling a little and not looking at them.

"It was her, the one who attacked the ship yesterday," I said. "She really is my daughter. She said I was a criminal, and that putting me here would change everything. She had a cloaking device on herself and me - that's why you couldn't find us."

"Well," Edwards began, looking perplexed. "This entire situation is incredible; I've never heard of a case like this before. Everything always puts you in the middle of hard evidence, despite your story. How are we to believe that you didn't kill those men?"

My face scrunched up then, and I looked even more away from them. "Because I didn't! I'm not a murderer...I know I'm not."

"Claire, look at us," came Danielsen's voice, soft. When I glanced up, he had an even softer expression on his face. "We know you're scared. We...feel that you are innocent, but whoever that girl is, she's determined to see you brought down. We're going to try our hardest to help you, but

this _is _getting a little deep, even for us. You understand...I know you do."

I nodded. It was all so crazy. Every time I was in the clear, something bad shoved me back into the hole I'd managed to escape. "Could I ask you something?"

"Of course," said Danielsen.

"Could you...send Doctor McCoy here? I'm sick right now, and we think it's from that bite I got."

"W-Well, we do have a medical staff here..." Edwards began, but then he stopped himself. "However, I believe that having the doctor here would be beneficial. He's been looking after you for a long time."

The words were comforting. Later I realized that Edwards probably had an ulterior motive, to have McCoy there to give information on the illness and the cure. That was fine with me; I didn't want anyone else getting what I had, and I wondered if it could be stopped. I managed to get some

sleep before they told me that the Enterprise was on its way, and that McCoy would be there soon. It was probably psychological, but I was starting to feel worse. I felt anxious and restless, shaky most of the time, but I just wanted to sleep it off. I was dozing when someone happened to

call my name from the cell door. Well, it wasn't actually a door, more like a force-field. It looked as if it was just an opening in the wall, but a quiet buzz kept me from trying to step through. I looked up, finding a couple of guards and McCoy. Smiling, I stood up and waved. The security men

stepped away, out of my sight, but I knew they weren't far. "H-Hi." I said.

"Claire, are you all right? The Officials tried to explain it to me, but...I can't believe it. That girl really is out to get you."

I didn't really know what to say to that. I was tired of explaining that particular incident. "It doesn't matter right now. I just wanted to see you, really. I'm starting to feel really sick again, and Joanna told me it was because of - "

"Joanna?" McCoy asked, his eyes going wide. "Who's Joanna? That girl?"

"Y-Yeah, that's what she said her name was. Why?"

McCoy seemed to think for a second, then shook his head. "No, it's nothing. I'm sorry, Claire. You say you're sick, are you? How are you feeling?"

"Really...stir-crazy. I think I've had a fever, too, and my chest still hurts. My shoulder aches lately."

He nodded. "Very well. I'll let them know that you need to come back as soon as this whole mess is straightened out, and that you're still in my care."

I smiled, wanting to hug him so badly. "I just have...one favor."

"What?" He asked, an eyebrow raised.

"Joanna told me that...I get really sick. Like, I go crazy because of this. She said that you made a cure in her time, but I destroy it, I guess."

"I already managed to make a cure!"

I shrugged. "Maybe not. Maybe it's different now. I'm just telling you what she told me. My favor is that, if you can't find a cure, I need to stay here."

"...What, in this cell?" McCoy asked, incredulous. "You haven't done anything wrong!"

"Not yet," I admitted. "She said that I go crazy, and that I kill, and steal, and if I'm in here, then I can't do those things."

He shook his head. "I'm not leaving you here to...to lose your mind, alone and pitiful! I promised I'd take care of you, and I intend to keep my word."

"What if you don't figure it out this time? What if something happens? I don't want to hurt anyone, McCoy."

He scoffed. "Don't be so dramatic. Last I understood, you had one of the best doctors looking after you - or so you told me. Why has that changed?" He leaned down a little to match my gaze, because I'd stopped looking at him. There was a small smile on his lips, and I couldn't help it. I smiled

too, looking away again.

"Look, it's been a long day for me. Talking to Joanna messed with my head. I'm already an emotional person as it is, and I just...thought I could help her somehow. You were right, you know."

"About what?" He asked quietly.

I moved my eyes up again, looking at him with a smile. "Parents...really do care about their kids."

* * *

_I like how this one turned out. I had a lot to think over when writing it. I hope I don't fall into another plot hole as the story goes along, I tend to do that :) Thanks for reading! _


	8. Violets Are Blue

**Author Note:** Hey, look, another update! It's a miracle ;) Thanks for reading.

* * *

Chapter Seven: Violets Are Blue

* * *

This place was beautiful, wherever it was. It was quiet, too.

I sat on the grass, leaning back on my palms and admiring the flowers around me. They were white roses, the bushes tall and trailing themselves down the path on either side. I could have spent the day there, but I felt I had to go somewhere. Grudgingly, I stood and patted my jeans,

heading left. The roses eventually disappeared and became hedges with strange, beautiful pink flowers, almost like little daisies. They scattered along the leaves, countless as I passed them. The sky was a bright blue above me, with the occasional white cloud making its way overhead.

I couldn't believe how amazing it was. I never figured out where it was I was headed, because I woke myself with a gasp, my heart fluttering. "Oh," I said, realizing it. "Just a dream."

"Must have been a good one." McCoy sat at his desk, looking amused over his paperwork.

"Huh?" I asked, sitting up. "Why?"

"Oh, you just had the biggest smile on your face, is all." He looked up at me, also smiling.

I winced, laughing. "That's embarrassing. I was just in a really good place, I think; it was really pretty."

"Hm. I'm glad you were able to get a decent night's sleep." He returned to his work, and I smiled. I'd told Joanna that he was a tough guy on the outside, but inside, he was the exact opposite. It was because of him I was still on the Enterprise, even though the scare at Starfleet should have

given me a life sentence, if they'd wanted. After the crew had shown up, and I'd told McCoy I was sick, he refused to release me as his patient, no matter what. Kirk had refused to release McCoy as the ship's doctor, so in turn, they had to have a member of Headquarters on-board if I was going

to stay. No one complained about that, and I considered myself pretty lucky. Kirk had decided to spend a couple of days here, to make sure everything was strightened out, and the Officials wanted McCoy to help them with all of that medical mumbo-jumbo. Basically, it was shore-leave; I was in

another room of Medical bay, with a bed not attached to a monitor, for once. The medics wanted to keep a close watch on me, but I was tired of being hooked in all the time. As long as I kept my health under control, I could have normal sleeping conditions set. It was nice being able to curl up

or stretch out as much as I wanted, and I really had gotten a better night's sleep.

"Doctor?" Came a voice. I jumped up in surprise, finding Nurse Chapel at the door. McCoy looked up as well, taking a couple of sheets of paper from her. She looked at me and smiled politely, and I swung my legs over the side of the bed. "Claire," she said, "how are you?"

"I...I'm good. I haven't seen you since before the trial!" I realized it with embarrassment, and wondered how I hadn't noticed. It felt like longer, and without even trying I stood and walked over, hugging her. I probably held on a little longer than I should of, because McCoy said, "Claire?"

I pulled away. "Sorry, I guess I just...missed you? It's only been a few days, but..."

Nurse Chapel smiled, obviously flattered. "I appreciate that, Claire. I'll try to visit you more often, since I hear you'll be staying for a while longer." She winked.

I laughed. "Yeah, I guess so. This whole thing got really messed up, really fast, but I'm glad I have people looking out for me."

McCoy stood, handing a single paper back to his assistant. "If you'll excuse me, ladies, I have a few things to work on. Why don't you keep an eye on her, Nurse? I'll be back in a while."

"Hey, perfect!" I said, playing along. "Now we get to catch up; how convenient!" Nurse Chapel laughed, and McCoy rolled his eyes, stepping out of the room. I moved back onto my bed, and Nurse Chapel joined me. "So, how _did _everything go? It seemed like there was all sorts of trouble after

that attack."

"Tell me about it," I groaned. "I was so frustrated because I was being framed for everything, and I don't know I would've gotten out of it, if Spock hadn't defended me."

"He told me about that," she replied, nodded. "I'm grateful that he was there to help you, and I knew he'd be the one to pull it off."

I smiled. "That's what I told him! He was amazing - you should have seen it. It didn't matter what they put down, he was able to bring it right back to what made sense." Nurse Chapel nodded, suddenly with a far off look on her face. Her hand brushed a couple of locks of hair, and she smiled.

Another light bulb, like I'd experienced before, went over my head. I tapped her shoulder. "How's that working out for you?"

"Oh, my hair? Easier to manage..."

I was shaking my head. "No, that's not what I meant. How are things going between you and you-know-who?"

Her eyes widened a little. "Claire, there's not anything!"

"Yeah, right!" I scoffed. "You can't tell me my handiwork didn't work its magic a _little._" I nudged her, but her face grew a little serious.

"No, I wouldn't say that. I appreciate it, Claire, I really do, but he's...different. He can't be swayed by looks."

"Yeah...I guess I can see that," I agreed. "Enlighten me, though."

She only shrugged. "There's something you just have to understand. First off, he's a Vulcan - they're a race of people who govern their emotions in every sense of the word. They've banished it and allow themselves to only focus on what truly matters. If it isn't logical, it doesn't work."

I rolled my eyes. "This is what _I_ think. I admit, love isn't what you'd exactly call 'logical'. People do stupid or goofy things because of it, and it's really complicated. I mean, I don't really get it myself, but the _idea _of relationships and being together with someone, all that, it totally makes sense!

If we weren't meant to love, we wouldn't be made that way. We're not robots, even if we tend to act like it sometimes."

Her face showed an understanding that made me feel like I'd made a pretty valid point. "Yes, I know. Still, I would never do anything to...pressure him into anything."

"Trust me, he can't exactly be swayed by much, from what I can tell, let alone something like love. However," I added, "If you don't do anything, ever, you can't say you didn't try. You just go around moping and wishing someone would come along and fix it all. He's perfectly able to do that, but

he won't. You have to take a few steps more, just try a little harder. If it doesn't work," I shrugged, "at least my attempt to play matchmaker wasn't in vain."

Nurse Chapel smiled, placing a hand on my shoulder. "Thank you. I know that he tries in his own way to adapt to us, our 'human ways'."

"He knows you're someone special." I raised my eyebrows, nodding, and her smile grew. "You see? You know it, too. It's okay to give yourself a little credit."

We sort of ran out of things to say, but McCoy's return mended that easily. Nurse Chapel stood, looking thoughtful as she was instructed to go over a few reports with Doctor so-and-so. She waved to me one last time, and I waved back, giving her an encouraging look before she disappeared

altogether. McCoy cleared his throat. "Talk about anything interesting?" He asked, with that hint of already knowing.

"Maybe. It was just girl talk, totally boring for you."

He looked at me, and I suddenly couldn't tell if he was upset or not. "Mind if I say something?"

I grimaced. "I dunno. Am I in trouble?"

"No, I'd just like to say something." When I didn't respond, that gave him the cue to keep going. "From a professional standpoint, I'd like you to be...more careful about that subject with Miss Chapel."

"You heard?"

He shrugged. "A little. I'm not saying you did anything wrong, though. It's just that Mr. Spock is...different. He's a good man, but love isn't exactly what he's all about."

"All I did was give her a little nudge out the door. She needs it, and so does he." I defended myself, raising my hands for emphasis.

"You have to understand, Claire, _that _particular subject is very foreign to Spock, and pushing him too hard would bring consequences."

"Nurse Chapel wouldn't do that. She's really nice, and not some silly heart prancing around. She's always made sure that she's doing the right thing, even when I've said what I have." I knew, from watching the show, that Christine Chapel had tried numerous times to gain Spock's affections,

but it never had been in a true setting. Something was always wrong - their emotions were influenced, someone was pressuring them, this or that...they needed a serious opportunity to talk about it. McCoy didn't seem to disagree, but he shrugged.

"I'm asking you to respect their privacy. In the end, it isn't anyone's business, and no outside influence should have anything to do with what choices are made."

I decided to be serious. He was right, and I needed to sober up. "Okay, I'll lay off a little. I see something special there, though, and I don't think that helping it along a _little, _hurts."

He finally smiled, stepping over to me. "You're a good person, Claire, I know that. Give it a little time, and let them figure it out. I'm sure that your help is something greatly appreciated. Now, enough of this serious talk. While we're here, why don't we go out and see some sights? I'm sure

that you've wondered what things are like here, and I don't feel like it'd hurt to give you a little fresh air. It's already been approved, whenever you want to go."

I stood up immediately, excited. "Uh, let's go now. Getting fresh air would be fantastic."

We took a shuttle from the Enterprise, and within minutes we were literally hovering over the bay as we crossed to land on the other side of the Golden Gate Bridge. I'd never done any traveling at home, so seeing something like this was spectacular. We parked, and McCoy walked us to a

street corner to hail a taxi. I admired the space between the car and the ground, the sound of the hum that the hovering caused, and hopped in. "Where to?" Asked the driver.

"The Conservatory, please," McCoy replied. He handed over a card to be scanned, and suddenly we were in the air. The car lurched upward, and I, though being fastened in, grabbed onto the seat. An embarrassing squeak escaped my lips, and the driver looked back at me.

"First time in a flying car?" He asked, laughing.

"Oh, no, no," I insisted, mimicking him. "I take them all the time. I just can't ever get used to that...first bump, you know."

"I could drive on the street, if you'd like," he offered.

"Are you kidding? This is totally - " I stopped, curbing my excitement, "-totally what we want. It's perfectly normal, riding a flying car." I waved my hand, and that was the end of the conversation. The driver chuckled again, and I stole a glance at McCoy. He had his palm resting close to his mouth,

but I could still see the smile - that darn, handsome smile that made me blush. I turned my head, thinking once again over that stupid dream...that kiss. I shook my head; I couldn't have feelings for him, now could I? He was older, probably had someone he cared for _somewhere, _and to him, I

was just his patient. It'd be silly to even consider anything. I was probably just all nervous because of the pep talk I'd given Nurse Chapel, and looked sideways at him again. Sadly, he noticed me this time and frowned.

"Something wrong?" He asked quietly.

I shook my head, waving it off. I decided to focus on the outside, stealing a peek at how high up we were. We still seemed to be following some line of traffic, but I wondered if this was like the fast pass, like at amusement parks. The sight of other cars whizzing around distracted me, and I

enjoyed the rest of the ride as we reached a plaza. The car landed, the driver turned back to face us, and said, "Well, here we are. Some other time, right?"

"Thanks," I said. "Definitely some other time. Have a good one."

I slid across the seat to get out the passenger side, had one foot on the sidewalk, and looked up to see a helpful hand in front of me. McCoy stood expectantly, so I took it an hoisted myself up. I waved one last time, then shut the door and waited for the next orders. McCoy seemed to look

around before asking, "Before we go to the Conservatory, are you hungry?"

"Yeah, actually," I said. "I'd kill for some french fries right now, believe it or not." When I looked up, I found confusion on his face. "What?" I asked.

"...French fries?"

I blinked, not sure what to do. "You..do have those, right?" I remembered that not much eating had been done in the series, and to me it always looked kind of off - like a collection of gummi bears or something. Even my food on the ship was weird, but I'd gotten used to it by now. McCoy

stared at me another second, and suddenly his lips turned up into a mischievous smile. My mouth fell open, and I made an indignant sound. "Are you kidding?! That wasn't funny!"

He laughed. "The look on your face was something I'd pay to see again."

"Whatever! You can't do that to me, I'll freak out! I can't live without french fries being available _somewhere!_"

Still laughing, he pulled me along the plaza. "Come on, then. It's been a while, but I think I remember one place. Old men like me shouldn't be eating that stuff anyhow."

We walked right through the center, with me no doubt looking like a kid on Christmas. Everything was so beautiful, so different, and so not my era. I wondered if we really would reach this point in my world. There was so much we wasted our time and money on, but here, they'd accomplished

what they wanted. They had that future we only created in movies. I looked over at McCoy again, not really caring this time if he noticed. He seemed content, lost in his own world and probably enjoying that fresh air more than I was. I smiled, starting to look forward again, and then I realized

something. When he'd pulled me from the car, we hadn't unlocked our hands. Now, they remained joined even as we reached the end of the path. I blinked in shock, then pulled my hand away. This stopped him, and the same recognition seemed to cross his face. We stood at the edge of

the crosswalk too long, missing our chance as the light changed.

"I'm sorry," I mumbled. "Wow, I'm really sorry! I didn't even notice..."

He looked away. "I hadn't either. I apologize, Claire."

"Yeah. Me, too. Not professional."

We found a diner a block down when we finally crossed the street, giving us a chance to forget about earlier. It was a family-friendly establishment, and we were quickly escorted to a seat by the window. Diners still looked the same, I noticed, with puffy seating and salt shakers still sitting in

the middle of the table. A few things had changed, though, like the fact that as I looked over the menu, it moved through the items like a slideshow. _That is so cool, _I thought. The fascination didn't last long, because before I could even look at appetizers I was thinking again on before. I hid

a shy smile behind my menu, closing my eyes for a second. I'd actually held hands with him. I pulled my menu away, finding his hand positioned like it had been in the taxi. His eyes scanned the page, and he was smiling, too.

* * *

"Are you sure this is the right way?"

"I'm a doctor, not a tour guide. I haven't had to ask for _directions _in I don't know how long."

"We could just ask someone," I countered, and he shook his head. Somehow, amazingly, we'd gotten lost. We'd somehow taken the wrong turn out of the restaurant and babbled about different things until I realized we hadn't reached the plaza. Now we were wandering, I was sure, a block

away from where we wanted to be. Now we were pulling gender stereotypes over getting directions because McCoy kept insisting he'd find it. "Look," I said, stopping. "We're losing time. If we really want to visit that garden place you told me about, we - meaning you - have to suck it up and

ask someone. Or, let me do it, I don't care."

"...Fine." McCoy, annoyed, stopped the next person he saw and hurriedly asked where the Conservatory was. The man smiled.

"I was just there. You were super close! Just head down to the end of the street that way," he pointed behind him, "and turn left. It's on the block after the plaza."

"Thanks," I replied, and McCoy nodded politely. As we walked, I said, "See? That didn't kill you."

Sure enough, we found it without another problem. McCoy used his card at the entrance, and we headed in to what was a site even more amazing than the park. Flowers were everywhere, planted in such organization that all of the colors matched together. There weren't many people around,

but as we ventured farther in, I saw that it was sort of like a tour. The first area was like the center of attention, with a pavilion set up for sales next to a sparkling fountain. I shook my head - this really was spectacular. The air was fresh and smelled sweet, thanks not only to the flowers.

Plenty of trees lined the path and circled the pond nearby, and it was still such an open place. I hadn't even realized I'd started to wander off until McCoy called, "Claire?"

"Hm? Oh, sorry. This place is amazing. Could I go walking? I won't get lost, and we can meet back here."

"All right," he said. "Do you have your communicator with you?"

Surprisingly, I did. I carried it around like I had my cellphone, in my pocket. I pulled it out as proof, and he nodded. "Just call if you need me back soon," I said, and started up my walk again. The path branched off, and one area led to a hedge maze. There were printed arrows leading the

way, so I was safe. I'd been hoping for a guide, but I supposed those people were elsewhere to show other things. The walls created a little more silence, and I slowed my pace when I felt a sense of deja vu. As I took my very first left, I blinked, then stepped back toward the entrance. There,

I found what I hadn't even noticed - white rose bushes, lining the way in. It wasn't exactly like my dream, but when I hurried back in and turned again, I saw the pink daisies. "Well," I mumbled, "turns out my dream was, once again, a premonition of some kind. That's just great." I didn't want

to chicken out, having left my escort soon, and I was curious as to how this would turn out. My stroll turned into a march, and I walked until I reached a fork in the path. Following my dream, as well as the arrow in front of me, I went left. The daisies were still a pretty sight to look at, and they

smelled incredibly sweet, even for flowers. I kept walking and found myself at a dead end, which made me frown. Had someone messed with the sign? I turned, and nearly had a heart attack.

"Jeez!" I cried. "What are _you _doing here?!"

It was Joanna, and from the way she stood, she was mad. "What are you doing out of your cell?" She snapped.

I took a brave step forward. "You know what? I'm tired of this! I really tried to help you, to understand you, and you don't want any of it! Why can't you just leave me alone!"

"I'll leave you alone when you're dead!" She yelled, and tackled me to the dirt. My hair brushed against the leaves, and my hair got stuck in the branches. I growled, fighting between pulling myself free and keeping a knife away from my throat. The two seemed to be beating my until I finally

yanked my hair away, and I ignored the sting and I leaped forward. It wasn't too graceful, but I managed to pin Joanna and get a hold of her mask. "No - " She hissed, but I'd surprised her. Her anger made her sloppy, and a second later I managed to pull off the mask. Instead of feeling

victorious, or a little giddy that I was finally seeing her face...I just dropped the mask. I'd imagined her to look like her Dad, like I did mine, and I supposed she did. I just didn't understand how.

"You...You..." I stammered, backing away from here.

"I wish you could see your face right now. You look like an idiot..." She muttered, rubbing her cheek. She frowned, those already upturned eyebrows raising at the edges even more. A pointed ear poked out from her wavy hair, and I carefully reached out to see the other. She didn't make a

move to stop me, only laughed. "Funny how life works, right?"

"You...you're a _Vulcan?! _How can that be?!"

"Did you really think that the doctor was my father?" She asked, pulling annoyed face.

"W-Well, it'd make more sense than...than..." I couldn't speak.

"Than what? Spock? It really never did make sense to me, but here I am!" She waved her hands, shaking her head. I stumbled to my feet, tears pricking at the corners of my eyes.

"No...this is wrong. He needs to be with someone else. I can't be with him! Just...stay away from me, okay?" I'd tried to yell, but the words came out weak and emotional. I jumped over her and ran as fast as I could, somehow finding my way out. I didn't stop until I reached the pavilion, but

McCoy was nowhere to be found. I was grateful; I didn't really want him to see me like this. I made my way up the wooden steps, making myself take deep, calming breaths. A couple of people looked down at me, and one girl asked if I was okay, and I nodded. I said I was fine, smiled, and

kept about my business. I finally felt calm enough after a minute and pulled out my communicator, and nearly dropped it at the sight of another unwanted face. Spock was there, observing me as he stepped up to meet me. I stood, tempted to run right then.

"Miss Claire," he addressed. "Are you here alone?"

"Uh..." I stammered. "Uh, n-no, I'm not. I'm with Doctor McCoy. We just decided to...to separate, is all. What are you doing here?"

"I decided to come here to study," he explained. "The flowers here are things I've not seen, so taking this opportunity was ideal. I am here to purchase something, as well."

That threw me off. I looked around me, finding bunches of flowers - obviously meant for couples - and other silly trinkets. They were hardly of any interest to the likes of Spock. "These are souvenirs, Spock..."

He raised an eyebrow, like, 'Of course they are'. He stepped up once more to my level, now towering over me. "I decided it was the logical thing to do."

I paused, then laughed weakly. "Yeah, the logical thing...that's really great. What...are you going to buy?"

He frowned. "I am uncertain. I wish to take a sample for myself, and for someone else."

"Someone else?" My heart nearly stopped. If he knew about Joanna...I would have died right there. I couldn't believe it was true, even though the proof had literally stared me in the face. She had his eyes, no doubt, and that strong, proud expression. I shook my head. _Snap out of it, Claire! _

_This is _not _going to happen. Ever. _"Who were you thinking of?"

He surprised me then, for the first time. His response, though simple, was evasive. "Someone I am acquainted with. With respect, I wish not to discuss it."

I would have teased him then, but I only nodded. "Okay, I get it. Do...you need help?" I also didn't know why I was offering it. I wanted to run for it and never see him again. Okay, that wasn't true, but I needed to get away from here. The gardens had officially lost their magic touch.

Spock shook his head. "Again, I am undecided. I've observed the humans for some time today, fascinated that not one male has left empty-handed. However, there seems to be no pattern."

"That's because they're putting thought into it. If it was any old flower shop, they'd probably choose a bunch of roses and call it good. This place is an attraction, and with their girlfriends or wives here - or vice versa for the women - they want to find something special. They want something

personal that goes with their mate."

He blinked. "What do you prefer?"

I knew I was blushing, but there was no way to hide it. "I...I...why me?"

"I have no one I know here, besides you. I believe it would be uncomfortable to ask the opinion of a stranger."

I laughed easily then, my panic starting to fade. I was the emotional human, jumping to conclusions. Spock was simply conclusive. "I get you. Well, I like white roses, actually. Red roses are way too romantic, in my opinion, and pink ones are just...pink." I was sort of telling the truth. I did

like them, but I was really just taking that from my dream. I still hoped that this wasn't the start of things to come...things like Joanna. I couldn't let it happen. I wished I'd asked Nurse Chapel what her favorite flower was. "You only live once, right?"

"...I believe I understand," he said after a moment. "You mean to say that this may be the only chance I have, if I am using the expression correctly."

I nodded, patting his shoulder. "Exactly. You know, I think you've got this all figured out, so I'll head out. I need to find Doctor - " I'd been walking down the stairs backwards, looking at Spock, and as I turned I bumped into the very person I was looking for. "- McCoy. Hi, sorry. I didn't even

see you there."

The doctor smiled, giving a curious look toward his colleague. "That's all right, I was just about to call you back. The Captain wants us back at headquarters, to talk with the Officials."

"Is something wrong?" I asked.

"No, no. That's all he told me, so I'm sure it's something...well, I don't know. He didn't sound upset, though, but it's best not to keep him waiting. Are you ready to go?"

I nodded fervently. "Yeah, I think the aroma is getting to my head now. I think being outside was too exciting for me, I'm kind of tired now."

"All right. If you'll excuse us, Mr. Spock?" He nodded to the Vulcan, who did the same before turning back toward the items for sale. McCoy looked back after a while, then down at me. As he opened his mouth with that look on his face, I jumped in to stop him.

"Wait a minute! I didn't say anything, I swear!"

"Why do I not believe that?"

"It's true! He just wanted to take something home with him, asked my opinion, so I told him. I didn't mention anyone or anything that would break my word. Cross my heart," I said, raising my right hand. He leered at me another second, then shook his head with resign. He hailed another taxi

by the sidewalk, and we slid in, ready to go home and relax. I gave one final look, hoping to remember it as something beautiful. Instead, I saw a dark figure, having decided to show herself one last time without her mask, and glaring hatefully at me. I jerked my head away sinking back into

the seat with guilt. It built up so quickly, I didn't even notice the jolt from the car's ascent. I sat slumped, eventually feeling a hand on my shoulder. "Are you okay?" McCoy was asking.

"Why?" I replied. "I'm fine, really. Yeah, I'm okay."

The driver tried not to pry, but I noticed him quickly glance back in the mirror. McCoy wasn't convinced, either. "You're crying..." He whispered. "What happened?"

"N-No," I insisted, but I now felt the tears there. "Please, I'm okay. We'll talk about it later, okay?" I shuffled farther away, as far away as I could from him. I looked out the window, hiding the tears that refused to stay in. To make things worse, I finally started to cry just as we stopped in front

of Starfleet's front steps. I jumped out my side, not waiting for McCoy. I knew I couldn't go in by myself, but I needed to sit down and just let it all out. I was so confused, so hurt, and still having wanted to know Joanna better. My fears ate at me, then, and I wondered how it was she was

still there. If things hadn't changed, and she would still be born, I wished I knew when it would happen. I worried that Spock really had bought something for me, and that this was just the beginning. McCoy sat with me, a gentle hand on my back, and I moved toward him a little more than I

probably should have. He eventually moved his arm around my shoulder, unsure of what to say.

"Bones?" Someone said. It sounded like Kirk. I looked up, then turned away. It was definitely Kirk. I closed my eyes again, but I knew he'd crouched in front of me. I felt a hand on the side of my head. "Claire, what happened?"

"I'm s-sorry!" I bawled. "I-I'm just really t-tired...and...I still don't feel great. I'll be okay..."

"I'm...sure you will be," Kirk replied. "You need to go back to bed."

I opened my eyes. I needed to stop, and get over myself. "No, wait. McCoy said you wanted to t-talk to us."

The Captain smiled sympathetically. "Don't worry about that. It's just a little dinner I put together, nothing serious! You need to rest."

I shook my head. I was going to convince them somehow. I needed something to keep my mind off of things, not spend time in a quiet room and try to sleep. "I want dinner. Please, I want to go to dinner..." _Yeah. Really convincing, dummy, _I chewed myself out. Kirk hesitated, looking at McCoy.

I looked at him, too, trying to make a calm, serious face. "I don't know, Claire," he replied. He tried to feel my forehead, but I moved it away as politely as I could. "I'm okay."

He finally sighed. "Fine. If I see one reason to send you to bed, just _one, _I won't hesitate."

Kirk shook his head, smiling. "You are...an interesting girl, Claire. Dinner isn't for another hour, so you have time to get ready. If you decide you don't want to do, it'll be just fine. Let's go on in, shall we?"

I managed to calm down after that, willing myself to not act like a little baby. Inside the ship, Kirk left us almost immediately to get ready, while McCoy seemed conflicted even as he walked me to my room. I started a couple of conversations in my head, but every time they reached my mouth,

I closed it again. Finally I said, "Sorry. You really tried to make this a good day."

"It was a good day. I wish you'd tell me what happened, especially if it has to do with Mr. Spock, but...I did enjoy my time with you. You don't have to feel bad about anything."

I smiled. "...I know. I won't feel sorry for myself. I'm just embarrassed, really. I hate crying, especially around others." I looked at him, and he nodded.

"I understand. Well," he stopped, and I recognized where we were. The halls and doors seemed all the same, but if one spent the right amount of time here, they'd never get lost. We were outside my old room, not the medical bay. "I'll give you some time to get ready. Nurse Chapel will be

by in a few minutes to give you something to wear for dinner. I..." He paused, pulling something from his pocket. It was a tiny, brown envelope, which he held in front of me. "I got you something, too."

"...Really? When?" I almost didn't take it, being completely surprised. When he placed it in my hand, I almost didn't open it. "Thank you..."

"I got it after we separated, at that pavilion. I wanted you to have something nice."

I opened the flap, squinting. Carefully, I slid the contents into my palm and found a glittering little hairpiece. It was a pretty, skinny black clip with a pink daisy on the end, and I smiled. How...interesting? Ironic? Whatever it was, I loved it. "It's so pretty. I appreciate this so much!"

It ended up being a little awkward, but I hugged him. I wasn't sure why, but I tried not to worry. A hug really didn't mean anything, and it was how I showed appreciation to pretty much anyone. He hugged me back, and we ended up stuck together for a little longer than we probably thought.

It became comfortable, and I closed my eyes. "Thank you," I said again.

He moved his head a little, and I thought I felt the softest touch on my head, like a kiss. I could have been mistaken, but if I wasn't, I was happy.

* * *

_It was time for a lighter chapter, don't you think? It was a little longer, I'm sorry. Hopefully the drama transitioned smoothly, since it kind of seemed to come out of nowhere...that's contradictory. It was a nice little twist that I actually had somewhere else, but I feel it worked here. Thoughts? _


	9. The End of the World

**Author Note:** Thanks so much for the new reviews and followers! Days off = updates, haha.

* * *

Chapter Eight: The End of the World

* * *

"There. You look perfect."

"...No offense," I said, "but I kind of look like I'm going to a funeral."

"No, you don't." Nurse Chapel brushed through my hair again, shaking her head. "You look ready to go to a high-class dinner."

"I'd really like something like your dress. Blue is my favorite color, after all."

She smiled. "This is my _work _uniform, which I'm wearing because I'm on-duty."

"Could you come with me? I'll be the only girl..." I whined, but I knew I'd be fine.

"I'm sorry, I have to work, so Doctor McCoy can take a night off. Besides, the sooner we start research on that cure, the better. We don't want anything happening to you, Claire."

I shrugged, examining myself in the mirror. I hadn't been exaggerating - I was literally wearing all black. The dress was pretty, I didn't deny it; form-fitting, round necked, and short-sleeved. The skirt was pleated, like the uniforms the crew girls wore. It was a little short, but at least I was

wearing black tights. Ballet flats covered my feet, comfortable, and also black. Nurse Chapel had brightened me up with a string of pearls she happened to have, which I thought was very classy of her. She was obviously saving them for something special, so I promised to take care of them

with my life. She'd done my hair, too, curling it into loose ringlets and pulling it into a half ponytail. With my makeup done, I took out the hair clip I'd been given and placed it against the hair tie. I watched Nurse Chapel's interest in the mirror.

"Where did you get that? It's so pretty!"

I smiled, looking down at my lap. "Doctor McCoy bought it."

Her eyebrows raised. "He did? Well, now, isn't that interesting!"

"I-I don't think it means anything. I mean, he _did _buy it thoughtfully, but - hey, what's with that look?"

She shrugged, leaning back in her chair a little. "Perhaps just a little taste of your own medicine. That man never gives out gifts, especially ones like that."

"Hold on now." I waggled a finger. "He's a doctor, I'm the patient, simple as that. He said he just wanted to be nice."

"We'll see," she replied, winking. "He's come to care for you a lot, Claire, more than you think."

She really was giving me my own medicine. I tried to tell her that it didn't matter what happened, because eventually I needed to go home, and I couldn't be involved with him. She wasn't going to let me go that easy, and the pep talk didn't cease until someone came buzzing at my door. Grateful,

I called, "Come in!"

Both of us had most likely expected McCoy, but Spock stood in the doorway. I waved him in and stood, noticing that he was in his nicer uniform. This being the third visit to my room, I was waiting for him to take me somewhere, but he wasn't looking at me. "Nurse Chapel," he said, "may I have

a word with you?"

"Of...course, Mr. Spock." Nurse Chapel stood, looking concerned. "Is everything all right?"

"Indeed. I merely wish to speak with you elsewhere. Miss Stevens, Doctor McCoy is here to escort you to dinner."

The three of us stepped into the hallway. McCoy was also dressed up, still fiddling with one of his cuffs until he noticed me. He smiled, holding out an arm. I took it politely, taking one last glance at the couple already walking away from us. Spock had both hands behind his back, one of them

carrying a thin, white box. I grinned, turning away in excitement, and gave a quiet applaud to myself. "Yay!" I whispered.

"What is it?" McCoy asked.

"I just hope things go well for them tonight," I replied. "That's all I'll say."

"Sounds like you're feeling better. You seem to do that whenever you're trying to help someone else."

I smiled, looked up at him, and shrugged. "I guess. I just want them to be happy. Or...the Vulcan equivalent of it, I dunno." We both laughed. I was definitely in a better mood now, and when we met the Officials and Captain for dinner, I greeted them with an unguarded smile. I could tell they

seemed surprised by it, but they made no complaints. We took our places at the table, with McCoy pulling out my chair for me. It was unusual, being treated this way, and I blushed a little. Next came the part where I had to figure out which forks were used for what. Dinner was brought out,

and I fought the temptation to give the same look some people gave the cooking at home. It _looked _normal enough, like a steak and vegetables, but...the steak looked a little purple, and some of the other stuff was blue.

"Are you well, Miss Stevens?" Asked a man I'd just met, named Samuel. He was the oldest of the three, with Danielsen in the middle, and Edwards being the youngest.

"I'm..fine," I said. "This is just a little different than what I'm used to, is all. I'm sorry." I took my knife and fork, and went to cut the purple slab. It fell apart easier than I thought, and ended up just using my fork. Putting it in my mouth, I was pleasantly surprised - it was sweet, with a sauce

that was salted just a little. After a couple of bites, I was hooked, and went to take a drink. Just as I did, I watched McCoy look up as he realized something and held up a hand. It was too late, though, and my drink was already burning its way down my throat. I was nice enough not to

spit it everywhere, but I coughed. "What...is that?" I choked. McCoy was laughing quietly, and Kirk gave a guilty smile.

"Perhaps Miss Stevens would like some water, Commander," he said. "Claire, that's just your common wine, but we didn't realize you don't drink."

I coughed again, waving a hand in front my eyes. "Yeah, water would be great, I think. I just broke a twenty-four year sobriety."

The men laughed, and one of the waiters standing by passed me the glass of water I hadn't noticed at my left. I took the glass gratefully and drank as politely as I could, and Edwards cleared his throat. "I hope that dinner treats everyone well this evening, as well as the discussion we wished

to have with you. Doctor McCoy, we thank you for all you've provided since arriving, and we understand that, though nothing has been finalized, you need to continue on the ship with the Captain in his mission."

McCoy nodded seriously, having finished a sip of his drink. I wanted to try my own again, to seem more mature, but I knew I lacked the finesse. "Unfortunately, that's the case. As we speak, I have some of my most trusted assistants working on research."

Edwards nodded, wiping his mouth. It seemed the business part of the night was starting. "That is the reason we wanted to talk to you. We've been thinking of Claire's situation and several things have come to our attention."

"What have you found?" Kirk asked. "Is everything in order?"

"Oh, yes, don't you worry. We're concerned over Miss Steven's health, as well as making sure she gets home as soon as possible. She's been away from her family far too long, and we need to remember that she's not from this time."

"Y-Yes," said Danielsen, when all of us stayed quiet. "It's just that her being so far from home could influence things in a way they're not supposed to."

McCoy frowned, straightening a little, but I put a hand on his arm. I understood what was being said. "You mean like a butterfly effect. Because I'm here, things have changed."

"Right," he replied, smiling in relief. "Exactly. We're sorry that things have been so complicated for you in your time here, and we only want you to be able to be with your family."

I nodded. "I understand. I know that I need to go." It was difficult to say it, but I did. I didn't want to go, but I had to. It was how things worked. I was getting too caught up in this dream, and soon, I had to accept the reality. To move things along, I took another bite of food and let the

matter drop. Then I paused, and looked up at Edwards, who was already opening his mouth. I'd felt he was going to say more, but I didn't actually expect it.

"Also, Doctor, I'd like to tell you of the other consideration we've discussed."

"Of course, Commander," came the reply, a little cautious.

"You see, we'll be the ones responsible for getting her home. We have the technology here as needed, and as soon as she's better, we won't delay. We believe it's best for her to stay here, to receive treatment." Yep, it was exactly what I thought he was going to say. I'd wondered when

they were ever going to bring it up. I'd been lucky with all of the times I ended back up on the Enterprise, but it seemed it had run out. I finally looked up at McCoy, who didn't say anything for a minute. When he spoke again, he surprised everyone.

"I'm going to have to decline, sir." He's said it politely enough, but his face showed he meant business. "I haven't taken her off my list yet."

Samuel sat back, obviously having forgotten his food at last. "Doctor, if I may, it wasn't a request."

"If _I _may," McCoy continued, "I wasn't offering. I'm her doctor, and I'll be the one to give her the treatment. When she's feeling better, we'll have no problems taking time to bring her here."

"Captain," said Samuel, "are you in agreement with this?"

I looked at Kirk worriedly, who had a don't-bring-me-into-this kind of expression. Still, he said, "I believe that the Doctor is right. Officially, he hasn't released her; he'll be willing to sign that paper when the time comes, and I support him in that."

"Hold on a second," I said, standing. I really didn't want people arguing over me, especially when I'd already made the resolve. "I...need to go wherever's best, right? I'd be more comfortable if Doctor McCoy was here with me, looking over things personally, but...we can't always please both

sides." I sat back down, then, partly to end my point and also because I'd felt dizzy. I'd probably stood up too fast, and blinked my eyes a couple of times. Danielsen smiled over at me, with a look of respect.

"I admire Miss Stevens. Here we are, grown men, bickering. Doctor, we really would feel more comfortable keeping an eye on her, to observe her. It wouldn't be as a subject, by any means, but her health concerns us. Another idea we've thought of is if you, Doctor, would be willing to spend

some time here until things are settled. You know the most about it, and communicating with you from the Enterprise would be difficult if she stayed there."

I'd expected that option, too, with more hope. It didn't matter where I was, as long as McCoy was there, too, to take care of everything. It was more than how I felt about him, because he was a good doctor and would handle things how they should be. It looked like another argument was

coming when Kirk stood and said, "Gentlemen, I don't want this wonderful dinner prepared to go to waste, but I believe there are some things to talk about right now. Perhaps, Doctor, if you'd escort Miss Stevens...Miss Stevens?"

I could feel all eyes on me, even with mine closed. I'd suddenly started to feel nauseated, a feeling familiar but unwelcome. It always seemed to come out of nowhere, and at the most inconvenient times. "I think...I'm just not..." Speaking suddenly wasn't an option, and with embarrassment

I gagged into my napkin. McCoy stood, putting a hand on my shoulder.

"Claire, let's go. I apologize, but I need to take her back. If you'll excuse me," he finished, and I stood with his hand over my arm. We'd almost made it to the door when out of nowhere, someone was blasting at us from the outside. I groaned as I was pulled back in, and before the doors could

be shut, in walked someone even more unwelcome. Joanna was there, without her mask and added arsenal both hands. I moved back to my seat, my head spinning. "You've got to be kidding," I said, looking at her. She turned, shooting out the lock on the door behind her before anyone

could call out for security.

"Who are you?" Samuel demanded.

"The solution to all your problems," Joanna replied, and I almost rolled my eyes. I knew she was serious, though, and didn't make a comment.

"Are you the one who attacked my ship?" Kirk asked, standing with raised hands. "Explain yourself."

"No," she snapped. "I'm here for one thing, so don't interfere!"

"Then do it, already!" I yelled, instantly regretting it. My stomach lurched and I closed my eyes again. "If you're going to do it, then go ahead. I've tried already to help you, Joanna."

"...Joanna," said McCoy. "She said that was your name. I thought that maybe...since I hadn't seen her in so long..."

I looked up at him, and watched as he started fiddling with his fingers. More specifically, it was a ring I'd never noticed, on his pinky finger. "You thought it was weird, that being her name," I said. He looked at me briefly, then back at the girl. There was a compassion on his face that I'd never

seen before, and it was making Joanna uncomfortable. She faltered, lowering her gun a little. "Don't look at me like that," she mumbled. "It's not fair."

"Bones?" Kirk asked quietly. He'd silently moved closer to the doctor, looking wary. "Who is she?"

"I don't know," he admitted. "She has my daughter's name, and she's about the same age, too."

My head whipped back up toward him. "You have a daughter?"

"Her name is Joanna. I was so worried when I thought it was her. She's been on Vulcan for some time now." He looked at me seriously, and I couldn't read his face. It was like a mix between wanting to cry and wanting to yell. "Those chords used to attack you on the ship were Vulcan, and

when you told me her name was Joanna..."

"Well, I'm not her!" Joanna yelled. "As you can see, I'm not her." She lowered her guns all the way, looking furious. "I wanted to be...I wanted to be her."

"I don't understand this at all," Edwards said quietly, trying desperately to catch up. "What do we do, sir?"

"Listen to her," I said breathlessly. The dizziness was passing, but my body ached. Shaking, I pulled myself up and looked at her. "If you want to kill me, if that will _really _make everything better, then here I am. I think, though, for the sake of everyone here, you should tell us who you are."

"You know who I am," she muttered. "I'm a Vulcan."

"...You never told me your name."

She scrunched her face in a frown, looking back up at me with a gun pointed. McCoy stepped forward. "You won't harm her. What's your name?"

The room was quiet for a long while. This was the most conflicted I'd ever seen this girl, and she'd definitely backed herself into a corner. She looked at McCoy again, and sighed. "It's T'Pala. I..called myself Joanna because of _you._" She looked at McCoy, a mixture of love and sadness in her

eyes. "You were the only one who cared."

"You're her daughter, aren't you?" McCoy asked, motioning to me. T'Pala nodded. "Why do you want to hurt her?"

"I don't need to explain myself to anyone, not again. Not even to you."

I sighed, stepping away from the table with my hands raised. T'Pala instantly lifted her weapon again, but I kept walking. If I was going to do something, now was my chance. She was unsure, forgetting her mission because McCoy was there. I didn't understand it, but somehow it made

sense. He'd helped her when I couldn't, and she favored him for that. I walked until I was right in front of her, a smile on my face. "T'Pala, you don't want to do this."

"You - "

"Hey, listen to me, for just a second. I'm not your mother yet, but I think I have a right to try. Maybe you did want to do this at first, but things have changed. Maybe you realize I'm not who you know me to be - not yet. I know that you wouldn't have come here if things weren't bad, but

they haven't happened yet. I've tried really hard to make sure that I don't become that person, don't you think?"

She frowned, but it was more understanding. She still seemed conflicted between listening and ending my life, and I knew it had to be hard. "Why do you care?"

"I just do," I said. "I...I do care about you. I know _he _cares about you," I motioned to McCoy, "and I know that your Dad cares about you, in his own way. So, please, T'Pala..." I moved a little closer, and carefully wrapped my arms around her. "...Don't do it."

She moved her right hand, then, and I thought she was going to hug me back. A wave of happiness washed over me...and disappeared as the gun went off. I jumped like I'd been electrocuted, but I didn't feel the pain. T'Pala was stepping away - no, she was falling - and she collapsed to her

knees. The guns clattered uselessly to the ground, and finally, T'Pala fell forward, taking her last breath.

* * *

I couldn't stop shaking. The tears kept falling.

The shock had started to fade minutes ago, and now all I could do was accept what had happened, sobs wracking my body. I felt sick all over again, and I just wanted to leave. The Officials wouldn't allow it, though, not knowing if any other dangers lay in wait outside. They had security

check everywhere, but I knew they'd find nothing. From the beginning, T'Pala had acted alone. She'd worked by herself until the very end. I cried into my hands, leaning forward in misery. I was sitting as far away as I could from where T'Pala had fallen, hearing the gun shot over and over

again in my head. I suddenly had the feeling that someone was sitting next to me, but I couldn't look up.

"Claire." It was McCoy. "I'm so sorry..."

I couldn't speak. I knew I wouldn't make sense, so I only shook my head. He wrapped an arm around me, his head resting against mine. We stayed there for a long time, and I wondered when the men would come back. "I don't even..." I finally blubbered, "...know why I'm..c-crying..."

"It's okay, Claire. You can cry all you want."

Kirk found us a few minutes later. I'd managed to calm down a little, but my chest gave occasional, unintentional heaves. He crouched down in front of me, taking on of my hands. "How are you, sweetheart? Ready to go back?"

I nodded emotionally. "Y-Yeah."

"Okay, then. Bones, take her home, and make sure she gets some rest."

McCoy nodded, pulling both of us to our feet. I kept my eyes forward as we headed for the door, but at the last minute, they flickered toward the covered body. I looked back up and walked a little faster, my throat tight. Just like that, she was gone, and I couldn't do a thing about it. Back on

the Enterprise, we headed straight for my room - it was where I wanted to go. We stopped in front of my door, and McCoy asked, "Are you feeling all right? I mean, well enough to be here by yourself?"

I tried to smile. "I'll..call if I need anything. I just want to be alone right now..."

He nodded. "I understand. When you wake up, though, come find me. I'd like to talk to you, all right?"

I couldn't help it. I smiled, and stepped forward to hug him. "Okay. Thank you, for being here for me."

"You're welcome. Now, get some sleep."

I left him at the door, enjoying the immediate silence once I was inside. I saw my clothes folded neatly on my bed, and then I noticed something else, lying on top. It was that box that Spock had been carrying, and my heart sank. I was so tired, I wasn't even shocked. Somehow I'd been

expecting it, too, but I was far from happy. I moved to the bed and opened it, finding a single, white rose inside. I closed the box and gently set it aside, deciding to get into my regular clothes again. I pulled out the hair-tie and daisy clip, combing through my hair with my fingers a little.

After cinching up my laces, I sighed, holding the communicator in my hand. I'd wanted to sleep, and felt I could right now, but I needed to talk to him. This whole thing had to end. I opened up the device, really observing it for a minute. In the show, all they'd had to do was call the person's

name to get a hold of them. Therefore, I didn't know if I had to change the frequency, or something like that. Nervously, I hit the button and said, "Mr. Spock?"

There was no answer for a moment, but I waited. I called again, and someone said, _"Yes?"_

It was him. It'd worked! "Uh...it's Claire."

_"Yes," _he confirmed expectantly. I smiled.

"Uh, I wanted to talk to you, if it's okay. I'm back in my room..." I felt myself blushing. Hopefully I wasn't leading him on.

_"Very well. I will be there momentarily." _The line went silent, ending our conversation. He hadn't sounded different, which I was grateful for. I stood, tempted to take the rose with me. Then I changed my mind; I hadn't planned on giving it back, since it was a gift, but I wanted to talk about it.

I waited outside my room, sitting by the door with my eyes closed until Spock arrived. I hadn't heard him approach, so he cleared his throat. I looked up, then stood.

"Hi," I said.

He seemed to scrutinize me, frowning a little. "Is all well, Miss Claire?"

"Well, that's why I wanted to talk to you, about a lot of things. Could we go to that hallway, with the windows?"

He nodded, motioning the way. We didn't talk for a while as we walked, but finally he said, "I trust you received what I left in your room?"

"Oh, yeah, I did," I replied. "Thank you for that. When you asked me my opinion, I hadn't even guessed you were going to get me what I wanted!"

He turned and looked at me, and eyebrow raised. The hint of a smile played at his lips. "I wished to speak with you about that, for I was...concerned, shall we say, over my actions."

"Really? Why?"

"I had wanted to give you the gift in person, but Nurse Chapel being present changed my plans. You see, it was not a romantic notion, giving you the rose."

I made a surprised face. "R...Really?" He nodded, and we turned a corner. We'd arrived at our destination, and I immediately took a seat next to the first window, crossing my legs. "You can sit, if you'd like. I'm just a little tired from dinner."

He chose to stand, but moved back a little so I could look at him better. "What happened?"

I paused, taking a deep breath. My whole body felt like it would shut down at any point. I remembered one time I'd gone walking during the summer, all day, just to get out of the house. When I'd come back, I ached all over, and I'd gone straight to bed. Now I had that same feeling. " Well,

I guess I'll start with that day that I was attacked. That girl had those cords from Vulcan because that's where she's from."

Spock frowned. "When did you discover this?"

"When we went to the gardens. She found me, and I saw who she really was. She's definitely my daughter, right from the future." I waited for Spock to say something, but he didn't. He only looked thoughtful, and seemed to understand. "Can you guess who her father is?" I asked.

"I believe I understand. She is our child."

I made a sympathetic face, my heart falling. Somehow, it didn't sound as fantastic as one might have thought. I felt like I was betraying Christine Chapel in the worst way. "Yeah. She showed up at dinner, ready to kill me. I don't know exactly what I did, but she told me a lot of things that

made me believe her. She ended up shooting herself..."

I thought I was going to cry again as I told him everything. I told him about how I was going to get sick, how I'd become the villain. I never had figured out when Spock and I were supposed to end up together, but as I finished, I made it clear enough that it couldn't happen. Spock was

patient in listening, and he never interrupted. He looked at me with the same expression, but I knew him enough that all of it interested him. I finished my story, leaning my head against the glass. "So, you didn't buy that flower to steal my heart, hm?" I asked with a smile.

"No. I apologize that you came to that conclusion. I spend some of my time studying up on humans and their customs, and recently decided to look into that of courting. However, I also found that your race often gives gifts just to thank one another. As a Vulcan, I do not understand it, but

I wanted to experiment with it. You happened to be there at the time, thus becoming the subject, so to speak."

"What did you want to thank me for?" I asked.

"It may sound strange, but I thought a lot over the conversations we shared. It was fascinating to me how you suddenly came here, without knowledge or explanation as to why. You also seem to take my insights a little more seriously than others might."

I raised my eyebrows. Spock wasn't sensitive that I knew of, but this was as close as he could get. He appreciated that I didn't make fun of him, even though no one had ever done it to be mean. He knew that, as well, I was sure. I was curious about one other thing, and seeing as I felt we'd

come to understanding, I asked, "How did things go with Nurse Chapel? I mean, you don't have to tell me, but...I was just curious."

His face grew unusually soft, and he stepped closer to me, his back to the window. "We discussed a few matters, one of them being your diligent attempt to pair us together."

I grinned, looking away in embarrassment. "Yeah, I'm sure that probably got a little annoying. Sorry about that."

"There is no need for apologies. On the contrary, Nurse Chapel explained that she found it 'endearing', as she put it. The relationship between us has been an interesting one, though not unpleasant or strained. We are both here to work, not to find mates, though we enjoy one another's

company. I will leave the details private, but I will inform you that I did present a gift to her."

I straightened a little, looking up at him with a grin. I could have hugged him, right then and there. "I'm proud of you, Spock. I'm glad that things went well." I closed my eyes, another deep sigh leaving me. Memories of T'Pala were still fresh in my head, and now that I had nothing left to say,

I was left with them. "I give you my condolences, Miss Claire," Spock said. "The night, I am sure, has been traumatic for you."

"I just...didn't understand it all. It was like...if she couldn't kill me, she was failing. Life wasn't worth living if I was still around. I must have been truly evil to her, to make her like that."

"I do not believe that you are to blame. You are not that person now, and you have tried to prevent it, if I am not mistaken."

I smiled, the same words I'd said to T'Pala echoing. "I did. I really...tried to love her, to show her I wasn't like that." I decided to stand, stretching a little. I looked at him a moment, then said, "Did she ever try to see you?"

He shrugged. "Directly, no. However, there were times that I sensed a Vulcan presence. Now that I know she is no longer alive, it is logical that the presence is no longer there. It was...unexpected."

I nodded in agreement. That was a good word to describe it. We decided to call it a night, and Spock escorted me back to my room. I thanked him again, feeling ten times better, and went to bed without delay.

I woke up hours later, initially groggy but definitely well-rested. I remembered that McCoy wanted to see me, so I found the communicator I'd left on the floor and opened it, yawning before mumbling, "Doctor McCoy?"

There was a pause, then, _"Claire?"_

"The one and only. I just wanted to see if you were awake before visiting."

He laughed. _"Oh, I've been up for a few hours now. You've slept the morning away."_

"Fantastic," I said sarcastically. "Well, I'll be up in a few."

It was supposed to have been a normal day, a day for me to recover. I didn't know it, but McCoy had something he wanted to talk to me about, something that would change everything. When I arrived, he greeted me with a smile and asked how I was feeling. I was fine, completely fine. Then...

everything did change, for the worse. Before I knew it, what T'Pala had said was starting to come true. It didn't take long for me to start feeling off again, and within minutes, I was very, _very _sick.

* * *

_Dun dun duuun. I do that a lot. It's probably my favorite sound effect. I actually really liked how this chapter has turned out, and it's shortened my story considerably. However, it flows a lot more naturally, and I didn't think we'd be getting here so soon! Thanks for continued reading, I hope you liked this chapter, too. It was a little longer this time, too._


	10. Healing

**Author Note:** Thanks for new followers!

* * *

Chapter Nine: Healing

* * *

_I can hear myself screaming. It sounds muffled, like my ears are clogged, but terrible. I can only imagine how it really must be. The pain is even worse. My blood and bones itch, a crazy irritation that keeps me writhing. I can feel that I'm strapped down, and I was all alone. How could someone leave me like_

_this? I'm dying, and no one cares. Dying, no one cares, no one. Let me die..._

Things are never normal now. McCoy tells me I'm really sick, and I can feel it. I'm trembling from the stress my body seems to be going under, and I don't remember much anymore. I don't eat much now, too sick to keep it down. I try not to let it bother me, because I have plenty of company.

McCoy is always there, and the Captain visits for a while. Nurse Chapel does, too, thought we don't talk about Spock anymore. I've decided to leave that alone, and she seems grateful to discuss other things. Any day now, they say, I'll be better.

_The horrible pain again, starting in my shoulder. I have a splitting headache now, and I cry to someone to make it stop. I feel sick - I _am _sick - and the taste is foul. It's coppery...blood. Why isn't anyone here?! Someone help me! I feel a hand on my face, and I realize Spock is here. He understands my pain_

_somehow, and it relaxes me a little. Tied down...Spock is gone. McCoy, you said you'd stay. Why did you leave? Don't struggle, it hurts. Want to get out..._

I wake up again, dried tears on my face. I clutch at the blanket over me with all the strength I have, which isn't much - it's fading. McCoy puts another one over me, but it doesn't help. I feel cold and uncomfortable. Everything I need is fed through tubes, now. I don't speak much because my

voice sounds horrible, strained from screaming. I wish I knew what was happening to me. I can't imagine what I look like, but no one says anything about it. When McCoy visits, I smile. I even laugh when he jokes, or tells a good story, and he's the only one I see, now. Everyone is busy trying

to save me. I ask about Spock, and Nurse Chapel, and he says they're doing fine. They're working hard to finish the vaccine, which should be done soon. I ask how long it's been, and McCoy tells me 'a week'. It feels like so much longer. McCoy stands, and I know he's leaving, but I ask him to

stay. I don't want to be alone when I sleep. He sits next to me and brushes my hair, looking so tired. He smiles, though, and tells me to rest.

_Cold, body and mind. I think it's going to be over soon. I'm tired, and I feel bitterness taking over. It's the only thing there, and I hold onto it. I'm not scared. I hate that monster, for leaving me like this. I want to be home, want it to never have happened. Where is home? Mom and Dad, where are you? I_

_picture them, and I'm happy. I don't feel mad; I've been mad for so long. I'm crying, but I'm relieved. Maybe I'll see them now. Maybe I'll go home. It's warm now, and I can think again. Everything is so clear, my whole life, what I need to do. I see two figures, a man and a woman..._

"...coming out of it."

"...be all right?"

My eyes fluttered, but stayed closed. I took a steady breath in, then out - and coughed. "Ohh..." I groaned, frowning. Now that I was awake, I could feel the soreness in my whole body. "What's wrong with me?" I opened my eyes, finding McCoy and Kirk standing over me.

"Nothing's wrong with you, Claire," said McCoy, immense relief on his face. "Not anymore. We finished the vaccine, and you've been stable for three days. You're gonna make it."

I smiled, sitting up a little. "You sound like your old self again."

"Do you want to rest a little more?" Kirk asked.

"Are you kidding?" I replied. "I've had enough sleep! What I'd really like, is a decent meal."

The men laughed, and McCoy shook his head. "Sounds like I'm not the only one back to normal. I'll have something brought down right now. It shouldn't take long to get you back on your feet, and the soreness will go away soon enough."

I moved to pull my hair from my face and immediately noticed marks, on my arms. They were bruised, and I guess I must've been strapped down quite a bit. It looked like I had permanent Indian burns, all up and down; I chose not to say anything. I was alive and well, ready to leave this whole

mess behind. Kirk left the room, and McCoy took a seat, looking at me carefully. "Are you okay?" I asked. "I mean, really."

"I'm better than okay, actually. I'm glad we have something to combat that venom. No one will ever have to go through what you did."

I smiled. "Good. Thank you, by the way."

He smiled politely. "You're...welcome, Claire."

"I mean, for everything. I don't exactly remember what's happened, but you stayed with me until the end. Even before that, you were looking out for me."

A soft expression crossed that stern face of his. "Of course I looked out for you. From the second you got here, I felt that I had to protect you, no matter what."

Before I could respond again, there was a light tap in the open doorway. Spock cleared his throat, eyeing us. "Good afternoon, Doctor. Miss Stevens, I see you are awake."

"Most certainly," I replied. "Good to see you again."

He nodded, then looked at McCoy. "If I may, I'd like to speak with Claire for a few minutes."

McCoy stood. "Of course, Spock. Claire, I'll be back in a while, so take things easy."

I gave a confirming salute, smiling. Spock replaced him in the seat and was quiet for a moment. "How are you, Claire?"

"I'll live. I literally owe everyone here my life, and I'm just glad I made it, you know?"

He nodded. "Yes, I do. Yesterday, it did not seem the case."

We were quiet again. For the first time, Spock seemed to struggle with his words. Well, he seemed to consider them carefully, with more measure than I'd ever seen. "You were there, we're you? I...saw you, in my sleep. It was like you knew how I felt."

He looked up at me after a beat. "Are you familiar with what is called, a Vulcan mind-meld?"

"Um, not really." It was sort of the truth. I knew what it was, but not exactly how it worked, so it was easy to play along. "What about it?"

"It is a technique among us as Vulcans, a neurological ability which allows us to enter the minds of others. It is a connection of emotions, thoughts, and a very state of being. I admit to performing it on you, on one such occasion. You were under such an incredible amount of physical stress

that it began to affect your mind. The meld can be used to repair damage, so to speak, and I wished to understand what exactly what you were experiencing."

"Well, that's pretty cool," I said. "I definitely started to feel better after that. So, you were basically reading my mind?"

"Yes, that would surmise it. Unfortunately, the act can cause more damage than good when used for an extended period of time. After that, your health diminished quite a bit, and I chose not to employ the meld again. Doctor McCoy was able to procure the formula for the vaccine, and

administered it immediately. There was no time to test it, however, all were willing to do anything to save your life."

I wondered if 'all' included him. I smiled, and didn't say anything on it. "I think I'm going home, soon."

"Yes, that would be the logical conclusion, after all of this," he admitted, making an interested face. "I have found this entire situation to be both fascinating and tiresome."

I laughed. "I'm sorry I caused lots of trouble. If it's any consolation, I really did have fun being here. I'll never forget the time spent."

He shook his head. "Nor will any of us. Your presence will be remembered for a long time, I believe."

Just then, McCoy walked back in, the Captain in tow. He looked a mixture between incredulous and excited, while the Captain was...pleased? He had a strange look on his face as he said, "It looks like we've found the solution to all of this."

"Captain?" Asked Spock. He and I looked up at the two expectantly. "What have you discovered?"

"Like I said, the solution. Claire," Kirk smiled down at me, "we found the party responsible for bringing you here. They've been in my quarters for nearly an hour explaining everything."

My mouth fell open, and I sat up all the way. "What? Are you kidding?"

McCoy placed a hand on my shoulder. "Are you well enough to stand? Or do we bring them here?"

"Uh, w-well..." I started, pulling the covers aside. I was in that awful jumper again, and my bare feet moved to touch the cold ground. As I stood, my legs were obviously jelly from so much sleep, and I about fell over. Spock was thankfully in front of me to catch my fall. "I don't know.

Should...I get dressed, first? I probably look terrible." I sat back down, feeling my hair. It was messy.

"If you'd like," said Kirk, "we can give you time. Your clothes are in the other room, so we'll give you some privacy."

It was nice of them, to let me get pretty. They had important things to do - especially now - but I worked as quickly as I could to dress. I'd been brought a brush and mirror, which I avoided for a while. I got into my clothes first, then combed my hair, and finally, taking a deep breath, grabbed

the mirror. From what I could see, I didn't look _horrible_. I'd lost a little weight in my face, and there were bags under my eyes. My lips were a little chapped, but there wasn't much I could do about it. Easing from my bed, I managed to get the hang of walking around for a minute. Then I stepped

out of the room, where I saw five people standing there. Three faced me, the men of the Enterprise, but in front of them were two people, a man and a woman, not looking in my direction. Something seemed familiar about them, and as I stepped forward, I got their attention. They turned, and

I stopped dead in my tracks. They seemed surprised, too, but it was pleasant; it was like they recognized me, and the feeling was mutual - I was looking at my _parents_.

"What..the..._heck?_" I blurted. "What's going on?"

Kirk stepped forward a little. "Claire, these are the people I talked about. They have a little confession to make." He chuckled, and the couple gave a guilty smile.

"So, your name is Claire." The woman smiled. "You really do look like her..."

I held up my hands. "Uh, wait a minute. Who are you?"

The man motioned to himself. "My name is Pharen, and this is my wife, Ehala. We are responsible, as the Captain told you, of bringing you here."

I sort of laughed. "I...don't think you realize. You look like my parents. You're...not my parents, right?"

Pharen shook his head. "No. We come from a planet called Ediix-five, incredibly far away."

"Like...another galaxy?" I guessed. Ehala nodded, smiling.

"We're scientists," she said, and I nearly rolled my eyes. Of course they were scientists. It was always the work of scientists, and I prepared myself for the story. Ehala had a paper in her hand I hadn't noticed, which she passed to me now. It was a picture, and I blinked. It was me, I thought.

"Who is this?"

"That's Mara, our daughter. You see, we were doing research on different dimensions, to see what kinds of people were out there. We found a place nearly identical to ours - your dimension."

I made a guilty face, and snuck a glance at Kirk. He had that smile on his face that knew the cat was out of the bag. Spock didn't look remotely surprised, but I supposed that was because he must have known. I didn't know exactly what the mind-meld had given him, but probably more than

he'd let on. "Yeah, I'm from another place," I admitted.

"Yes," said Ehala. "We found you and your family, and made plans to research aspects of your lives. Not to be invasive, but to understand how your world worked - what jobs you performed, what the culture was like. Before we could finalize everything, our daughter managed to get to it

first."

"We're sure she's had a hard time at home, being a young adult, learning to do things on her own," Pharen continued. He looked down, frowning. "Maybe she was lonely. She must have seen something in your life, and since you're nearly identical, decided to make a switch."

I raised an eyebrow. This was pretty cool! To think that someone was jealous of my home life was...incredible. I forced myself to stay serious, because these parents were obviously concerned. "What is she doing now? Is she...happy?"

Pharen shrugged. "We don't know. We have no idea where she is. We never managed to contact her after she disappeared, and we couldn't contact you. Something must have gone wrong, because you ended up here, instead of our home world. Mara is...somewhere, probably lost and

alone. Perhaps she has no way to contact us, so we'll keep searching. However, we wanted to make sure we set things straight with you, first."

"You mean, sending me home?"

Ehala nodded. She stood from her chair and moved to sit next to me. It was so strange...she looked so much like my mother, but she wasn't her. She didn't have the same mannerisms, or the same gentleness in her eyes. It was meant for another girl, but she smiled at me. "The Captain

told us of your injury. We're so sorry you've had to go through that. We never could have imagined all of the dangers when we decided to do this, and we weren't prepared. Are you ready to go home?"

I was quiet. I blinked a couple of times. "...N-Now? Like, right this second?"

"If you're ready. You must be eager to go home, right? Your parents miss you so much, Claire?"

I shrugged. "I don't think so. We don't really...understand each other."

"That's normal. We know the feeling, because Mara and ourselves tend to do the same. She's young and we're getting older, more set in our ways. We forget what it was like to be her age. Your parents have gone through the same thing, but they miss you. They're worried about everything

that could happen to you."

"You'll understand when you have your own," said Pharen, not unkindly. I smiled, looking briefly over at McCoy. He had a smile of his own on his face, and I sighed. Pharen was right, and yet, I think I understood more than he thought I did. A little.

"I'm sure I will," I said, standing. "Well...I guess I have to go now. Could I say goodbye to everyone first? I know you need to find Mara, so I'll be quick."

"Of course, honey," said Ehala. We'll wait outside the room for you. What will take you home is on the ship we came in. Take your time, Claire."

The two of them stood, then walked out the door, leaving the room incredibly quiet. I wanted to sit back on the bed, but that would be stalling. Kirk stepped over to join Spock and McCoy, and I laughed a little to myself. All that was missing was a little dog and my ruby slippers. The 'hot air

balloon' was down in the hangar, and it'd leave without me if I let it. "Claire? Kirk asked. "Are you all right?"

"Oh, yeah, I'm..." I started, but I wasn't. I realized my eyes were glistening, my lips trembling. "I'm okay...I'll be fine."

He walked forward, crouching down a little to meet me eye-to-eye. "You know, I'm glad you came here. Someone as kind-hearted as you doesn't come along too often. That's why you need to go home, to show your family that kindness."

I looked down, starting to feel childish. I didn't care though; it was the last time I was going to talk to James T. Kirk. I lifted my arms and hugged him tightly. "I guess you're right," I said, and he laughed. I pulled away, looking at Spock. He had on one of his softer expressions, and raised

an eyebrow as he held out a hand. I grinned; hugging was not in his nature, for sure. I took it, gripping it firmly as I thanked him. _Now comes the hard part, _I thought, finally looking at McCoy. I couldn't get my mouth to work, and I I couldn't move. I was still crying, and I finally shrugged at him.

"I'm sorry," I mumbled.

"Captain," said McCoy, looking up, "would it be all right if I spoke with Claire alone a minute? We'll be right behind you."

"Oh, I see no problem in that. Mr. Spock and I will escort the couple down to the hangar to wait." Kirk nodded to his first officer, who followed him out the door. I sighed again, deeply. I gave an embarrassed smile.

"I really am sorry. I didn't want to cry."

"I know you didn't. Still, I know this is hard for you. I didn't want to miss the chance to tell you what I wanted to, before you got sick. Do you remember?"

It took a moment, but then I nodded. "Yeah. What was it?"

He didn't respond for a second, rubbing the right side of his face thoughtfully. "You know, I could talk your ear off about anything medical, all day long. Telling someone my thoughts or feelings? Forget it."

I smiled. "It's okay. Just say what you need to."

He sat on the chair next to the bed, and to keep things comfortable, I sat as well. McCoy finally looked at me and said, "How...do you feel about me, Claire?"

So _that _was it, what he'd wanted to talk about. We'd never really had the chance to figure it out, what we were to each other, and now had to be the time. Still, I wasn't sure. "It's confusing, I think," I replied. "How do you feel about me?"

He leaned back. "If I had a say in it, I'd ask you to stay. It's pretty selfish of me, but it's how I feel. I really don't want you to leave."

My face turned, and I looked down. "That makes things complicated, doesn't it?"

"I want you to know, I'm _not _going to ask you to stay, because it's not my choice. As much as I care about you, it's not fair for you to be taken from your home. I couldn't stand knowing two people, somewhere out there, will be looking for a daughter they'll never find."

"Yeah, that is pretty selfish," I said, but I was joking, and he knew that. "You'll miss me a lot, won't you?"

He nodded. "More than anyone else here will. Claire, I...I love you, like a daughter. Like my Joanna."

I tried not to wince. I hadn't exactly told him how I felt, but saying it now would be awkward. Besides, it _had_ turned out to be a different relationship than I thought, and I was fine with it. I was happy he was in my life, no matter what happened. "Your daughter. Don't you ever see her?"

He shook his head, a sad smiled on his face. "No. She was happier with her mother, and I'm out in space, involved in my work. We don't have time for each other. Still, all I'm saying is that you've kept me some great company. It's hard to believe one can be lonely in a crew of over two

hundred, but it happens."

I nodded. "Yeah, I get that. Thank you, for protecting me. For being company for me, when I needed it. Which," I added, "I know, was all the time." That made him laugh. Then came that automatic cue for us to stand, to end the conversation. It was time to go. I looked up at him and

said, "You sure it's not to late to catch the next flight out?" I tried, only half-joking.

He wrapped an arm around me. "That's not a bad idea. Hey, don't forget this." He pulled something from his pocket, and placed it in my hand. It was the hair piece he'd given me. "I've been keeping it safe for you."

"Thanks. Gosh, I'm sorry, I almost forgot..."

"Don't you worry. At least you'll have something to remember me, and your time here."

We hurried down to the hangar, where a strange-looking ship stood, strange even for this world. Spock was with Scotty, the two having an interesting conversation about the mechanics of the beast. Pharen and Ehala smiled as we walked to them. "Are you ready, dear?" Pharen asked.

I nodded. "Let's go, before I changed my mind for real." Ehala motioned her hand for me to enter, so I hopped in. The couple followed suit, then took lead to take me up to the bridge. They started to man the controls, and I hurried over to one of the windows for one last look. Four men

stood there, and I waved at them with a smile. Three waved back, with one holding his hand up in a famous salute. I tried to copy it, but couldn't do it very well. We lifted off minutes after that, and headed out into the endless, starry expanse. I moved away from the window, admiring how

vacant the ship seemed. "Do you have a crew? I asked.

"Yes," said Ehala. "The bridge doesn't require so many hands, having been mostly pre-programmed to travel. There are a few people wandering, here and there. We'll take you down to transport you home."

A part of me wanted to look around, to stall again, but these people had to move on. They had to find their daughter. As we walked, I said, "I have a question."

"What is it?" Pharen asked.

"Well, I'm wondering, will I be sent from the time I left, or, like, now? It's been over a month, hasn't it?"

Pharen looked regretful, already giving me my answer. "I'm sorry. We've barely manage to locate your dimension as it is. Trying to send you to your past could cause you harm, and we'd never want that."

"I understand. Uh, I have one more question, then." The three of us passed through a door or two, finally reaching what looked like the transporter room of the Enterprise. The difference was the single pad on the floor, and I smiled sadly.

"What's your question?" Pharen asked, already fiddling with the controls. I looked at Ehala, and a feeling of readiness washed over me. It was time for me to try again with my Mom - and my Dad - to make a better relationship. Pharen looked up at me when I didn't respond. "Claire?"

"Sorry, just thinking. I would...like to ask something of you. If I can...could we...keep in touch, somehow?"

He hesitated. "You want to come back?"

I shrugged guiltily. "Yeah, maybe someday. I never thought this place existed, so I can't just...leave it behind forever. When you're finished with your research, could I come back? Just for a little."

Pharen looked at Ehala, who was silent. She seemed conflicted as she looked at me. "We're not sure. We know that this place has become special to you, but...I don't think it'll happen."

I snapped my fingers in defeat, giving her a smile. I liked them, but they weren't very good scientists. "It's okay. I had to try. I'm ready to go home now."

Ehala wrapped her hand in mine, and we walked up to the transporter as Pharen finalized everything. She let me go, and I felt light-headed. It got really bright, and my whole body felt like pins and needles. Then...I was gone.

It only lasted seconds. As the light faded, I felt more like me as I found myself in a familiar place. I was in the living room of my house, and it was early morning. I took a breath, sitting back on the couch. I was home. I reached into my pocket, finding the hair piece - it hadn't been a dream,

and I thanked Heaven for it. The house was quiet, but I knew where I had to go. I headed out of the living room, down the hall, and to the door on the right. Carefully I turned the handle, finding two sleeping figures in the darkness. Sneaking over, I found my Mom and tapped her shoulder,

unsure of what reaction I would get. At first, she didn't wake. I shook her a little harder, and she stirred, looking around. "Mom," I said, "it's me."

It was like someone had put her on pause. She kept blinking, then finally she gasped. "Claire?"

"...Hi."

"Honey," she said to my Dad, shaking him awake better than I could, "wake up! Claire's home!"

He jumped up, clicking the side lamp. I smiled; my parents were so old fashioned. I definitely had missed that. "Claire," Dad said, "you're home! Where did you go?!"

"I..." I was in trouble. Not once had I thought of a cover story. "Why don't you two get up, and we'll talk, okay? Over breakfast? I've missed those homemade pancakes, Dad."

* * *

_Aaaaand, that's a wrap, folks. Thank you so much for reading this, I hope that you enjoyed it and its ending, feel free to leave feedback of any kind :) Sequel? No sequel? Regardless, I'm onto my other stories, yay! _


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